This archive report was first published on 29 June 2020.
June 29, 2020, marked a significant shift in Reddit's stance on hate speech and toxic content. The company, founded 15 years ago, has long been a platform for free speech, hosting over 130,000 active subreddits and attracting more than 430 million regular users.
However, this open approach has led to numerous issues of toxic speech and objectionable content, for which Reddit has consistently faced criticism. In the past, the company hosted forums that promoted racism against black people and openly sexualized underage children, all in the name of free speech.
But in recent years, Reddit has taken steps to address these issues. In 2015, the company introduced anti-harassment policies, and later that year, it banned several subreddits that targeted black or obese people. In 2016, it rolled out additional anti-harassment measures and tools, and in 2017, it took down forums dedicated to openly buying and selling drugs.
Despite these efforts, Reddit's executives struggled with how to handle 'The_Donald' and its noxious content. The subreddit consistently posted racist and vulgar messages that incited harassment and targeted people of different religious and ethnic groups on and off its site.
As of Monday, Reddit introduced eight rules that laid out the terms that users must abide. These include prohibiting targeted harassment, revealing the identities of others, posting sexually exploitative content related to underage children, or trafficking in illegal substances or other illicit transactions.
