this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2026
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Reddit is moving to “a logged-in-only experience,” CEO says (arstechnica.com)
submitted 2 days ago by vegeta@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] tal@lemmy.today 10 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (3 children)

“During October, we have seen that search traffic has dropped by more than 1 million referrals on average per week. If this rate of decline continues, current trends would suggest that total DAUqs [or daily active unique users] could fall in Q4, by a low-double-digit percentage from our current base of 130 million DAUqs,” Huffman wrote.

Huffman would like Reddit to become less dependent on search referrals. “Logged-in and app DAUq are our most valuable users, and they are our primary focus,” he wrote.

https://www.reuters.com/business/reddit-pinterest-shares-tumble-weak-user-revenue-growth-2026-10-30/

Reddit plunges as Google AI search squeezes traffic

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Shares of Reddit (RDDT.N), tumbled 23% in premarket trading on Friday after it warned Google's growing use of AI in ​search was hurting referral traffic and could shrink its user ‌base, offering fresh evidence of AI-driven disruption.

  • Reddit's warning highlights how Google's ​shift toward AI-powered search, which can answer queries directly, is ⁠disrupting the flow of traffic to websites that have traditionally relied ​on the search engine for users
  • Total daily active unique visitors could fall ​by a low double-digit percentage in the fourth quarter from about 130 million if referral traffic continues to fall, Reddit said
[–] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 20 points 2 days ago (4 children)

Step 1: Sell Google access to all of your data, which is the only thing of value your company has.

Step 2: Google uses your data to bypass traffic away from you.

Step 3: Be confused why nobody is going to your site anymore.

[–] ubergeek@lemmy.today 13 points 2 days ago

Step 2.5 Make sure your site is hostile to ~60% of the potential user base, by favoriting Reich Wing hate speech, and punishing anyone posting contrary to that.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

your data, which is the only thing of value your company has.

I mean, I agree that it certainly has value, but the userbase does too; it's the userbase that generates that valuable data when it comments and posts.

[–] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago

You are right. That's why making it HARDER for people to create new data that hasn't already been sold is an interesting choice.

[–] dmtalon@infosec.pub 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Actually, in my case reddit forced me to obtain answers without visiting the site because it is hostile to me... I'm clearly in the minority along with you all :). But, while I'd love the real users there to move here, reddit the company can rot.

Making me log in, to view anything will just further remove my eyes from anything created there. I only visited a couple subreddits (primarily my local soccer team's game thread) to view the comments. Since I deleted my account 3 years ago I guess I'm going to miss out on that.

[–] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Funny, my only reason to go to Reddit anymore is to lurk on my local soccer team's threads.

[–] dmtalon@infosec.pub 2 points 1 day ago

There is a community here, maybe I need to try to get people engaging in it, starting a game thread etc...

[–] socsa@piefed.social 1 points 1 day ago

Step 4 - block the rest of the referral traffic, because that's why.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

While referral traffic is probably mostly people using Reddit as a store of knowledge, doing things like site:reddit.com searches on Google, not principally use-Reddit-as-a-forum users, one does imagine that trying to require users to use Reddit logged-in will probably cause more users to leave Reddit. This is probably an opportunity for the Threadiverse to pick up refugee users from Reddit. Might be good to simplify and smooth the path for new Threadiverse users as best as possible, since I imagine this'll probably be the last "big moment" with potential friction for Reddit users in getting Reddit users over the hump to using a walled garden.

Reddit will start testing the login requirement in “select,” non-US markets in Q4. The company will use those tests to decide what a logged-in-only Reddit will look like “globally,” per Huffman.

It won't be all at once, then; Reddit will probably want to assess what how severe the impact on userbase is, how many people they can convert to using their app or having a login, and what tactics will work best in converting those users. So one might expect influx of new Threadiverse users over time as Reddit gradually shifts regions to being login-only.