Reddit reportedly experienced “international outages” on Thursday evening, according to NetBlocks, a global internet monitor. The organization stated that the incident was “not related to country-level internet disruptions or filtering.”
Reddit experiences international outages
A peak of around 58,000 outage reports occurred at 7:45 PM ET, as recorded by Downdetector, although the volume of these reports declined subsequently. Users on platforms such as X, Threads, and Bluesky also mentioned difficulties accessing Reddit.
However, some users did not face issues; one report indicated normal functionality when using Old Reddit, an incognito window, and a mobile browser. Reddit’s status page indicated that all systems were “operational” with no incidents reported on that day, leaving uncertainty about the extent of the outages. Reddit did not respond to a request for comment on the incident.
r/WhitePeopleTwitter subreddit returns
The r/WhitePeopleTwitter subreddit is back online after being shut down on February 4 for threats made against staffers at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. This action followed Musk’s reposting of a screenshot from an account called “Reddit Lies,” which displayed discussions about the identities of some of the DOGE employees, including violent comments.
The subreddit remained inaccessible for two weeks but has since reopened with the comment section locked. While the public can now post, new rules have been introduced by the community’s moderators prohibiting harassment, bullying, and any form of violence, even in jest. The moderators urged users to “attack ideas, not people.”
Reddit shares nosedived 13% and it was no surprise for this reason
The r/WhitePeopleTwitter forum is recognized for sharing humorous and political content from X, formerly known as Twitter. In their reopening announcement, moderators noted that the community has “always been a home for sharp, funny, and insightful social commentary.”
The community had previously expressed criticism towards DOGE’s attempts to access sensitive information, including personal financial data from the Treasury Department. A federal judge approved a plan on February 6 to prevent sharing personal financial data with DOGE.
Reddit stated that it aims for its communities to be venues for “civil discussion” and to allow for “healthy debate no matter the topic.” The platform warned that while debate and dissent are welcome, threats and doxxing are unacceptable.
Before banning subreddits, Reddit typically engages with volunteer moderators and provides reminders regarding community rules. Despite these efforts, threats against DOGE workers persisted in r/WhitePeopleTwitter, prompting the initial ban, which Reddit characterized as a “cool-down period” aimed at fostering a safer discussion environment.
Musk, who has been vocal about online moderation, reduced restrictions on X following his acquisition of the platform in 2022. He stated, “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.”
Tensions escalated between Reddit users and Musk, especially after over 100 subreddits banned links to X following Musk’s controversial gestures during President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Featured image credit: Brett Jordan/Unsplash
