Reddit to require login for viewing most posts, ending open-web access

Reddit will force users to log in to view most posts on its site and app, a major shift from its open-web approach. CEO Steve Huffman announced the change, citing user experience, advertising, safety regulations, and data protection. Huffman said the move targets unauthorized data scraping, largely by AI companies, which occurs through logged-out access. Reddit licenses content to AI firms with guardrails, but unlicensed scraping lacks such protections. The change also enables personalized ads and adaptation to global regulations. The company will test the policy in select non-U.S. markets in coming months, with boundaries still undecided. Reddit plans an incognito mode to address privacy concerns, though users opting out of personalization may see reduced functionality.