Reddit Plans Login Requirement As Search Traffic Falls
Reddit will test a shift toward logged-in browsing outside the US as falling search referrals and concerns about unauthorized data access reshape its plans.
Reddit plans to make logging in the standard way to browse its site, a major change for a platform that currently lets people read posts without an account. CEO Steve Huffman announced the plan alongside the company’s third-quarter results, as Reddit reported a significant decline in traffic from search engines. The company will begin with tests in selected markets outside the US, rather than switch everyone over at once.
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What will change for visitors
Reddit has not settled when a visitor who is logged out will be required to sign in. Huffman said on the company’s earnings call that people arriving from search results or shared links may still be able to see some Reddit content before encountering a firm login prompt, according to Engadget. TechCrunch reports that Reddit also considers access to a logged-out front page important.
TechCrunch says the initial tests are planned for the fourth quarter, while The Verge describes them as taking place in the coming months. None of the reports gives a date for a worldwide rollout. Reddit intends to use the tests to assess the effects on visitors, its business and the wider platform before deciding where to draw the boundary between logged-in and logged-out access.
Why Reddit is making the shift
Search referrals to Reddit fell by more than 1 million per week on average in October, according to figures cited by all three outlets. The Verge reports that logged-out and web traffic were hit hardest. Huffman also criticized Google’s AI-powered search features, telling Engadget that AI mode was not sending traffic to Reddit.
Huffman says requiring logins would help Reddit protect its data and give the company more information to tailor ads and recommend relevant content. According to The Verge, he said most unauthorized access to Reddit occurs through logged-out experiences. The company still expects to license its data to other companies; the outlet notes that Reddit has made deals with OpenAI and Google. Huffman also said a login would not require Reddit to know a user’s identity.
The business stakes are substantial. TechCrunch reports that Reddit had 130.3 million global daily active users in the third quarter, unchanged from the previous quarter, while US daily active users fell from 53.2 million to 50.7 million. Despite that decline, the outlet says quarterly revenue rose 53% year over year to $895 million. Huffman said app users and logged-in daily active users account for more than 80% of Reddit’s monetization, according to The Verge.
Questions still to resolve
The plan leaves open what a person without an account will be able to read and when a login prompt will appear. Reddit is also working on its app’s incognito browsing experience, according to The Verge and TechCrunch. For now, the company is presenting the move as a gradual transition, not an immediate end to all logged-out access.
Sources
This story was compiled by AI from the reports below. Read the originals for the full details.