Reddit Shifts to Logged in Access as Search Traffic Plummets

Reddit announced plans to transition into a primarily logged in experience following a sharp decline in referral traffic caused by the growing use of artificial intelligence in online search.

The company revealed during its third quarter earnings report that search referrals fell by more than 1 million visits per week on average during October.

Global daily active users reached 130.3 million in the period, remaining flat compared to the previous quarter, while domestic daily users dropped to 50.7 million.

Despite audience declines in the United States, total revenue surged 53 percent year over year to reach $895 million, surpassing expectations.

The shift away from open access marks a major turning point for a platform that has historically relied on search engines to attract new visitors.

Company leaders say the new strategy will safeguard proprietary information from unauthorized scraping while allowing for more targeted advertising to registered members.

Steve Huffman, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Reddit, said artificial intelligence search tools have altered the digital landscape.

"The reality is, AI Mode does not drive traffic," said Huffman.

"Not for us, and not to anybody, as far as I know. That's just a fundamental shift in how Google works."

The chief executive officer also addressed the emotional weight of departing from the platform's traditional open access model.

"I don't know about you, but as someone whose life has been defined by the open internet, it's a big change for me," said Huffman.

"But I've come to the conclusion that this is the right decision for our platform and the right decision for our business," said Huffman.

Initial testing of the restricted access model will begin in select international markets before any global rollout takes place.

Officials noted that users will retain the ability to browse anonymously through a rebuilt incognito mode after the changes take effect.

Executives have not yet provided a definitive timeline for when the logged in requirement will be enforced across all regions.