Janice R. Andrews
Reddit faced backlash after a “bug” led to the sudden banning of over 90 NSFW subreddits on Wednesday. The platform briefly labeled these communities as “unmoderated,” causing them to go dark without warning. Many moderators expressed frustration, as the affected subreddits were actively moderated and followed by millions of users.
According to Engadget, the issue stemmed from a technical glitch in Reddit’s moderation tools. A Reddit admin explained in a post on r/ModSupport, “There was a bug with one of our tools that caused some subreddits to be banned incorrectly. We are actively working on a fix, and many of your communities are already back up and running.” The admin assured moderators that steps would be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The banned subreddits included some of the platform’s largest NSFW communities, such as r/porn (3.9 million members), r/rule34 (3.6 million), and r/boobs (2.5 million). Non-NSFW subreddits like r/transgender_surgeries and r/cubancigars, which allow NSFW content, were also affected. The widespread nature of the bug raised concerns among users and moderators, with some speculating that Reddit might be preparing for a broader crackdown on NSFW content.
Moderators of the impacted communities criticized Reddit for its lack of communication. A moderator of r/rule34 told Engadget, “The explanation given to us in r/modsupport is lacking in my opinion. I was furious and disappointed that there was no communication to us.” Many moderators are now exploring ways to back up their subreddit content and create contingency plans in case of future bans.
This incident marks the second time in six months that Reddit has mistakenly banned NSFW subreddits. In a previous case, Reddit admitted its “subreddit automation was a bit overzealous.” While a Reddit admin clarified that the recent bans were “different from what happened before,” they did not provide further details.
The incident has sparked debates about Reddit’s moderation policies and transparency. As the platform continues to grow, users and moderators are calling for clearer communication and more reliable tools to prevent such disruptions in the future. For now, the affected subreddits have been restored, but the episode has left many questioning Reddit’s handling of its NSFW communities.
