# Reddit API blackout

> More than 7,000 subreddits went dark in protest of Reddit API pricing.

- Owner: Reddit
- Kind: Moment
- Sector: Technology
- Seed date: 2023-06-02
- Peak proxy date: 2023-06-12
- Date basis: Proxy date; not a directly measured attention peak.
- Spread Score: 32 (Niche, provisional), v1.3
- Mechanics: Controversy, Platform jump

## Summary

A June 2 call for a blackout spread across Reddit communities and into news coverage. Thousands went private on June 12; Reddit defended its API terms as some communities extended their protests.

## Timeline

- 2023-04-18 — Reddit (Open web) — Reddit announced changes to its developer and Data API terms.
- 2023-06-02 — Toptomcat (Reddit) — Toptomcat proposed a June 12 blackout to protest the API changes.
- 2023-06-05 — The Verge (Press) — The Verge reported that major communities planned to go private.

The full timeline, metrics and sources are on the case page, or via the Pro API (https://howitspread.com/mcp#api).

Canonical URL: https://howitspread.com/cases/reddit-api-blackout-2023

Cite as: How It Spread (2026). “Reddit API blackout.” Case HIS-01778. Spread Score v1.3: 32/100. Updated 2026-10-28. https://howitspread.com/id/HIS-01778