Reddit mod claims they’re being threatened to re-open subreddit amid blackout

Many of the biggest subs have continued the Reddit blackout, choosing not to re-open their communities. As a result, Reddit have cited the Mod Code of Conduct and said mods who aren’t moderating will be removed.

The Reddit blackout has swept many of the biggest communities on the platform. While some chose to strike for 48 hours and come back to regular operations afterward, there are subs that have opted to suspend operations indefinitely.

However, a moderator for r/Apple claims Reddit is putting pressure on moderators that are holding out by citing the rules and regulations on their platform.

Reddit’s Moderator Code of Conduct states that they “will not tolerate hostility, refusal to cooperate, and/or continued encouragement of rule-breaking behavior across Reddit.” And, with Rule 4 in the CoC stating that moderators have to be active in their communities to hold on to their role, they may be forced out of their positions.

Moderator claims Reddit is threatening subs to re-open

Reddit moderators are a key part of keeping communities running. When it comes to communities that have a very specific set of rules when it comes to both posting and commenting, having a dedicated moderation team is essential.

Within these subreddits, moderators have a lot of power. And, in the case of some of the biggest subreddits, moderators have unanimously decided to blackout indefinitely to protest Reddit’s API changes.

However, a moderator on r/Apple claims that Reddit is threatening him to re-open the sub by citing a few rules on the website that dictate moderators must be active within the community they oversee.

The ModCodeofConduct account claims that Reddit has “a duty to keep these spaces active”, and cited Rules 2 and 4 on the Moderator Code of Conduct as rules being violated by moderators who choose to keep communities closed.

As a result, those who aren’t active could be replaced with Reddit taking action to “source new mod teams.”

On top of that, a number of other penalties can be levied against moderators and communities that decide not to stay active. These include some severe penalties to moderators that include but are not limited to the following:

• Temporary or permanent suspension of accounts
• Removing moderators from a community
• Prohibiting a moderator from joining additional moderator teams or creating new subreddits
• Removal of privileges from, or adding restrictions to, accounts

Those who have action taken against them by Reddit directly could be facing some serious consequences on the platform. And, while Reddit didn’t directly threaten Aaron with this post, he claims to feel threatened by it.

“[Reddit] are essentially threatening moderators of subreddits that are blacking out indefinitely that they will be removed.”

It remains to be seen if Reddit will take action against subreddits that continue to stay closed amid the ongoing blackout.