Greetings everyone,

The June 12th blackout is about to officially begin. We stand in solidarity with numerous people who need access to the API, including bot developers, people with accessibility needs (r/blind) and 3rd party app users (Apollo, Sync, and many more).

r/ModCoord and /r/Save3rdPartyApps will be publicly visible, but no new threads will be posted, besides mod announcements. You will find in this thread the following:

• the community's list of demands;

• a list of alternative platforms (including discord servers that are welcoming new users from the blackout);

• a link to the participating subs list.

• a proposed message to those visiting your private sub.

• instructions to set the sub private.

• Automod config to remove new threads from approved users

• Reddit blackout in the media

The community's list of demands:

1. API technical issues
2. Accessibility for blind people
3. Parity in access to NSFW content

API technical issues

• Allowing third-party apps to run their own ads would be critical (given this is how most are funded vs subscriptions). Reddit could just make an ad SDK and do a rev split.
• Bringing the API pricing down to the point ads/subscriptions could realistically cover the costs.
• Reddit gives the apps time to make whatever adjustments are necessary
• Rate limits would need to be per user appkey, not just per key.
• Commitment to adding features to the API; image uploads/chat/notifications.

Accessibility for blind people

• Lack of communication. The official app is not accessible for blind people, these are not new issues and blind and visually impaired users have relied on third-party apps for years. Why were disabled communities not contacted to gauge the impact of these API changes?
• You say you've offered exemptions for "non-commercial" and "accessibility apps." Despite r/blind's best efforts, you have not stated how they are selected. r/blind compiled a list of apps that meet users' access needs.
• You ask for what you consider to be a fair price for access to your API, yet you expect developers to provide accessible alternatives to your apps for free. You seem to be putting people into a position of doing what you can't do while providing value to your company by keeping users on the platform and addressing a PR issue. Will you be paying the developers of third-party apps that serve as your stopgap?

Parity in access to NSFW content

• There have been attempts by devs to talk about the NSFW removal and how third-party apps are willing to hook into whatever "guardrails" (Reddit's term) are needed to verify users' age/identity. Reddit is clearly not afraid of NSFW on their platform, since they just recently added NSFW upload support to their desktop site. Third-party apps want an opportunity to keep access to NSFW support (see https://redd.it/13evueo).

Please also note that not all NSFW content is just pornography. There are many times that people seeking help or sharing stories about abuse or medical conditions must also mark their posts NSFW. However, even if this were strictly about porn, Reddit shouldn't take a stance that it's OK for them but not any other apps, especially when demanding exorbitant fees from these 3rd part devs.

List of alternative platforms:

• https://kbin.social/
  
• https://join-lemmy.org/
  
• https://squabbles.io/
  
• https://tildes.net/
  

With the subreddits going dark, if you would like to stay in contact with the overall reddit community, you can join any of these open discord servers and find other redditors there.

List of Discord Servers:

• r/aww: https://discord.gg/UXfd5Pn

• r/cats: https://discord.gg/GqTrazYFxB

• The Positivity Network: https://discord.gg/VruY5kvcmc

• Unexpected Friends: https://discord.gg/coolpeople

• Luna's Lobby: https://discord.gg/vNKtDQnc [NSFW]

Wiki list of participating subs:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/wiki/index

Proposed splash-screen message

(this will be visible to those visiting your private sub):

This subreddit is temporarily private as part of a joint protest to Reddit's recent API changes, which breaks third-party apps and moderation tools, effectively forcing users to use the official Reddit app.

Instructions to set the sub private

On June 12, do this so that visitors to your sub will see this:

1. View your sub in old reddit:
   http://old.reddit.com/r/PUT-YOUR-SUB-NAME-HERE/about/edit

2. In the settings, under Type, change it from Public to Private.

3. To display a custom message instead of "The moderators have set this community as private....", scroll up to Description and enter it there.

4. Click Save Options.

-OR-

1. View your sub in new reddit:
   http://new.reddit.com/r/PUT-YOUR-SUB-NAME-HERE/about/edit?page=community

2. Under Type of Community, change it from Public to Private.

3. To display a custom message instead of "The moderators have set this community as private....", scroll up to Community Description and enter it there.

4. (optional, available on new reddit only) Under Private Community Settings, untick 'Accepting new requests to post' if you don't want users to have an option to request access.

5. Click Save Changes.

Automoderator configuration to remove new posts from approved users:

#Remove all threads from non-mods, for the duration of the blackout
type:  submission
comment:  |
    Your post has been removed. Posts are now restricted to moderators of this subreddit only.


    https://www.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/1401qw5/incomplete_and_growing_list_of_participating/
action: remove

Reddit blackout in the media

See this comment: https://www.reddit.com/r/ModCoord/comments/1476fkn/reddit_blackout_2023_save_3rd_party_apps/jnvlfqz/