Reddit will block Old Reddit for anyone who has not used it in six months

[Electric Holly]

Reddit is tightening access to its classic Old Reddit layout. In the coming months, only logged in users who have used Old Reddit within the past six months will be able to keep using it. New accounts will not be able to access it at all, and anyone who has not used it recently will be locked out, although moderators are exempt from the six month rule. For long time users who prefer the old design, this is a big deal

Reddit says the main reason is AI scraping. According to the company, Old Reddit has been a significant source of scraping activity, and the earlier requirement to log in only partly reduced automated abuse. Given how valuable Reddit's content has become for training AI models, it is not hard to see why the company wants to close off easy routes for scrapers. Every site with valuable discussions faces the same pressure now

There is a second change too. Reddit is ending RSS support on 13 November. The company thanked everyone who used it to stay connected to Reddit, but plenty of people still rely on RSS feeds to follow subreddits in news readers. That will be another blow to power users. RSS is old technology, but it still has a loyal following

Chief executive Steve Huffman has said Reddit might rebuild the Old Reddit interface on a modern technical foundation rather than scrap it completely. That could be a reasonable compromise if it happens. But it fits a pattern of Reddit tightening control, from the API changes that killed third party apps to its current developer platform. Long time users will remember how that turned out

As a forum ourselves, this is an interesting one. Old Reddit's simple, fast layout is what many users loved, and AI scraping is clearly a problem for every site with valuable discussions. Do you still use Old Reddit? And is blocking it a fair response to scrapers, or an excuse to push everyone onto the new design?

Reddit is putting more limits on Old.Reddit.comarstechnica.com