TLDR:
Reddit is now blocking big search engines and their AI web crawlers from bringing up relevant posts unless they pay up, and Google has already agreed to pay $60 million for access. This move by Reddit has implications for how users find recent content on the platform.
- Reddit is blocking search engines and AI web crawlers unless they pay for access
- Google has already paid $60 million for access to recent Reddit posts
Key Elements
Reddit is now restricting access to its content for search engines and AI web crawlers, requiring payment for access. Google has already agreed to pay for access to recent Reddit posts, while other search engines like Bing will only show older content. This move by Reddit aims to establish boundaries on data scraping and prevent AIs from accessing its content for free.
Microsoft respects the robots.txt standard and acknowledges websites that do not want their content used by AI models. Reddit’s decision to limit search results highlights the ongoing debate over companies’ rights to control their data and content.
This move by Reddit has shifted how users can find recent content on the platform, with Google currently being the only search engine able to surface up-to-date Reddit posts. Other search engines would need to negotiate deals with Reddit to access the same content.