Reddit is shutting down RSS feed support and tightening public API access as part of a broader effort to prevent automated scraping and AI training on user content. The platform is also requiring active users to maintain regular Old Reddit access to continue using the legacy interface.
Reddit is dismantling multiple access points to its platform in response to unauthorized scraping and automated data collection. The company confirmed it is ending RSS feed support entirely, removing a long-standing method for users and third-party services to consume Reddit content programmatically.
Simultaneously, Reddit is restricting access to Old Reddit, the classic interface preferred by many longtime users. The platform previously required login credentials to use Old Reddit. Now it will enforce an additional requirement: users must have actively used Old Reddit within the six months prior to the change rolling out in their region to maintain access.
These restrictions align with Reddit's escalating battle against AI companies and data scrapers seeking to harvest user-generated content for training large language models. The company has raised API pricing significantly and implemented stricter rate limits to make automated access prohibitively expensive.
Reddit's reasoning centers on protecting user data and maintaining platform integrity. The company argues that uncontrolled scraping enables unauthorized use of user-contributed content without consent or compensation. This has become a flashpoint in broader debates over AI training data sourcing and fair use.
The RSS feed shutdown affects aggregators, news readers, and automation tools that have relied on Reddit's feed for years. While alternative third-party solutions may emerge, the deprecation marks the end of Reddit's native support for the open syndication standard.
Old Reddit users face a ticking clock. Those who have not used the legacy interface recently will lose access once the policy takes effect in their region. Reddit has not specified whether exceptions will be made for users with accessibility needs tied to the classic design.
The moves reflect a broader industry trend: platforms increasingly restricting programmatic access to user data. Reddit's approach is more aggressive than most, though not unprecedented among social platforms prioritizing control over their content ecosystems.
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