Popular online forum and community news website Reddit has released an update to its content policy that looks to restrict some of the website's most offensive content.
The policy will effectively quarantine some of the subreddits, which is Reddit's term for its communities and subforums, with users only seeing content from these subreddits when they choose to see them.
According to a post on Reddit by CEO Steve Huffman explaining the content policy update, the communities that will be quarantined are those that could be considered as extremely offensive for the average Reddit user.
In addition to the quarantined subreddits, Reddit also said that it will be applying an outright ban on several communities as a result of the updated content policy. These banned subreddits are described as those that have been created only to annoy other users, prevent the website's developers from improving Reddit, and generally worsen Reddit for all other users.
Among the subreddits that were banned include those that were dedicated to animated child pornography and extreme racism.
"Our most important policy over the last ten years has been to allow just about anything so long as it does not prevent others from enjoying Reddit for what it is: the best place online to have truly authentic conversations," Huffman wrote, adding that he believes the new policies are within the right balance of policing the content on the website and providing users with an avenue for free speech.
The updated content policy is the first major change on Reddit since Huffman returned to the company. Huffman co-founded Reddit, but went away for six years to establish and work in another start-up company.
Reddit has traditionally allowed all kinds of topics to be discussed in its subreddits, be it offensive, racist or pornographic. However, Reddit has started to remove some of its most controversial subreddits over the last couple of years, with the website posting content guidelines and banning some communities earlier in 2015.
Reddit's actions have been the subject of debate. While some users are concerned that the website is rescinding its position on allowing free speech, some users are claiming that Reddit's new policies are not enough in policing controversial subreddits.
The website's administrators have been engaging in discussions with its users to find the perfect mix of what should and what should not be allowed, but according to Huffman, more policies will be changing in the future as Reddit continues to evolve.
