On Monday, thousands of Reddit communities began protesting with a widespread "blackout."
The pushback comes as the platform is scheduled to roll out its new policy of charging third-party apps high fees for access.
Outraged subreddits went on private, blocking access to new users unless granted permission. Private mode also restricts the site's ability to promote posts.
CNN Business reports that Apollo app creator Christian Selig said Reddit priced a renewal request at $20 million annually. Selig could not afford such an extreme rate, so he discontinued his app from the platform.
If Reddit continues to charge for third-party apps, critics predict it will "kill off all third-party competition against Reddit's proprietary app," per CNN.
Co-founder Steve Huffman posted a statement on the matter in a Reddit Q&A thread. "On 4/18, we shared that we would update access to the API, including premium access for third parties who require additional capabilities and higher usage limits," Huffman stated. "Reddit needs to be a self-sustaining business, and to do that, we can no longer subsidize commercial entities that require large-scale data use."
He then announced the new changes the platform would face. Angered users spoke out about the situation.
One Redditor wrote, "If they're going to start charging for API calls, [moderators] should start charging Reddit for their time keeping the website functioning. This site ONLY functions on the backs of free labor from mods."
Another user, who frequently uses Apollo, stated, "For a large number of Apollo users, its existence is the only reason we're still using the platform. I've been here 15+ years, but have no intention of sticking around once Apollo goes dark."
