Subreddits and third-party apps are going dark in response to Reddit’s proposed API changes. It’s the latest front in a labor battle between algorithms and the humans who feed them.

  • kaseijin@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    There is so much astroturfing on Reddit these days. I’m sure there are people being paid to manipulate the narratives on social media. Even if it wasn’t a local entity, it’d be an easy way for foreign governments to sow discord (pretty cheaply). Can you imagine? All you have to do to reach millions of Americans is to pay a person(s) to log into 1000 accounts and upvote something or give awards to a post. Reddit doesn’t care cuz they get the moneys and they get the “engagement” they need to IPO.

    • Friendship@kbin.social
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      1 year ago

      And to make matters worse Reddit has chased off or straight up removed a good chunk of the moderators who would have helped keep the bots at bay. Now it’s an astroturfing playground out there with nobody to stop them.