Following a widespread blackout staged to protest Reddit's upcoming pricing policy, users on the social network have resorted to a unique tactic: bombarding the platform with pictures of comedian John Oliver.
Reddit's largest communities, once dedicated to everyday images and cute animals, have transformed into a vast collection of Oliver photos, both real and satirical, with the aim of catching the attention of the "Last Week Tonight" host.
This calculated effort serves as a sustained protest against Reddit's corporate management amid a crackdown on users and moderators. The movement combines lightheartedness with a deeper purpose, as users hope to maintain pressure on the company despite ongoing challenges.
The Protest and Tactics
Reddit users are expressing their dissatisfaction with a new policy that will introduce fees for app developers to access Reddit data, similar to Twitter's paywall. Critics argue that the suddenness of the change, along with the proposed high fees, will adversely impact many app makers and businesses.
The protest began with over 6,000 Reddit communities going dark, including some of the platform's most popular forums boasting millions of members. While Reddit's co-founder and CEO, Steve Huffman, downplayed the financial impact of the protest, some advertisers have paused spending on the platform. Additionally, there have been reports of a slowdown in Reddit's revenue growth preceding the paywall proposal.
The Role of John Oliver
By flooding the platform with John Oliver pictures, Reddit users aim to draw attention to the policy change and potential repercussions. Oliver, known for delving into tech topics on his show, has a history of influencing real-world outcomes. Reddit users hope that Oliver may address the revolt and feature their content on his show. Although Oliver has not made any commitments, he responded positively to the Reddit users' efforts, giving them his blessing to continue posting his image on the platform.
While many of the largest protesting communities have reopened under pressure from Reddit's management, some communities, such as r/pics and r/aww, have taken unconventional approaches to continue protesting. They have become hubs for John Oliver-related content, aiming to maintain attention on Reddit's policy change without violating the platform's terms of service and risking further crackdowns.
The ongoing protest on Reddit against the upcoming pricing policy has taken a creative turn with users flooding the platform with pictures of John Oliver. By combining humor and persistence, users are trying to keep the spotlight on Reddit's controversial decision. Whether this unconventional tactic leads to any changes or prompts a response from John Oliver remains to be seen, but it highlights the determination of Reddit users to express their dissent and bring attention to the platform's policies.
