Reddit plans to make users log in to view content as search traffic falls

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Reddit is preparing to close its doors to logged out visitors. Engadget reports that the site will stop letting people without accounts, or who are not logged in, view its content, according to chief executive Steve Huffman's latest letter to shareholders

The change will first be tested in selected markets outside the US. Reddit says search traffic fell meaningfully during the quarter, with referrals from search dropping by more than a million a week in October

Huffman called the move to a logged in only experience a key piece of work. He said logged in users give Reddit more signals for targeting adverts and engage more, and that it also protects Reddit's data and helps it adapt to new regulations

Reddit has not decided exactly when logged out visitors will hit a hard prompt to sign in, with Huffman saying the company needs to find the right boundary. Some content will stay visible to people arriving from shared links or search results. Huffman also criticised Google's AI Mode for not sending traffic, and said Reddit's AI licensing deal with Google is under active discussion

Reddit has become one of the most useful places on the internet for honest answers, often found through search. A login wall could make it less useful for casual visitors. AI search summaries are clearly changing how websites get traffic

Would a login wall stop you using Reddit? And are AI search summaries hurting the websites they rely on?

Reddit will force users to log in as AI is killing search traffic - Engadgetwww.engadget.com