What’s Behind the Redditor API Strike

People strike over wages, working conditions...and now, apparently, the decision by Reddit to charge developers for access to their users’ jokes, memes and gaming tips. On Monday, the managers of hundreds of forums on Reddit, including some of its most popular ones such as r/gaming and r/music, will take these forums private to protest the company’s decision to charge app developers for access to its application program interface, which has been free of charge, according to a Reddit post shared by the participants. 

Raising the hackles of Reddit’s users known as Redditors, the company last week outlined in a blog post new limitations and pricing plans for developers that use the site’s backend to power Reddit-based apps. These offer feeds of Reddit forums with an interface some users prefer over Reddit’s app and website. Reddit, which says supporting third-party apps costs the company millions of dollars, will cut off access to developers who make money off apps that access its API, starting July 1. For free apps, it will charge those that make a high volume of API calls.