Reddit Moves to Logged-In Access as Google AI Overviews Cut Search Traffic

Reddit announced Thursday it will soon require users to be logged in for most access, citing declining search traffic as a key reason, with CEO Steve Huffman blaming Google's AI Overviews for not driving referrals. Huffman stated Google's AI Overviews "are not traffic drivers" and that the search giant has shifted its relationship with the rest of the internet. Reddit's search referrals dropped by over 1 million per week in October, potentially cutting daily active visits from its 130 million base by a low-double-digit percentage. The move follows a 2024 surge when Reddit saw a 39% traffic increase from Google search, aided by a licensing deal for AI training. Despite the decline, Reddit reported $895 million in revenue, up 53% year-over-year, with logged-in users driving 80% of monetization.