New Delhi, UPDATED: Jul 25, 2024 10:06 IST
- Google is now the only mainstream search engine allowed on Reddit.
- Reddit has blocked all other search engines, including DuckDuckGo and Bing.
- The move is speculated to result from a recent deal between Google and Reddit.
Reddit, the popular social media platform, has recently phased out all search engines except for Google, effectively making Google the sole search engine to be used on its platform. This decision blocks engines like DuckDuckGo and Bing from indexing and displaying recent posts and comments on Reddit unless they agree to a paid partnership. This policy change means Reddit’s most up-to-date content is now behind a paywall for search engines.
According to a report by 404 Media, Google remains the only mainstream search engine showing recent results when users search for posts on Reddit. The move is anticipated to result from a deal between Google and Reddit, where Google paid USD 60 million to Reddit for using its data to train its AI model.
While older results are still visible, other search engines can no longer crawl Reddit for new content. This strategy puts Google a step ahead of its competition, nudging it closer to a monopoly in the search engine market.
For Reddit, this bold move aligns with its evolving business strategy, emphasizing revenue growth and investor satisfaction by limiting access to its content and exploring alternative income streams. The heightened data protection measures reflect Reddit’s focus on monetizing its vast repository of user-generated content.
This decision is part of a broader industry trend, with many websites pushing back against AI companies’ data scraping practices by blocking bots and updating their robots.txt files to prevent automated data collection. Reddit’s current robots.txt file now disallows all web crawling, including regular search engines.
Reddit has openly voiced its dissatisfaction with AI firms exploiting its site for training purposes and has taken decisive action to curb these practices. Earlier this year, Reddit signed a USD 60 million deal with Google, allowing the tech giant to license Reddit content to train its AI products.
The introduction of Reddit’s API fee marked a turning point in its relationship with third-party developers. This move to monetize access to its data forced many beloved apps to cease operations, creating a void in the community and sparking debate about the platform’s commitment to openness and collaboration. Reddit’s recent actions underscore its commitment to data privacy and its willingness to confront those misusing its platform, even as it seeks new revenue streams.
