Reddit locks down its public knowledge in new content material coverage, says use now requires contract

On Thursday, Reddit is introducing a brand new coverage aimed toward balancing its want to license its content material. massive tech firmsLike Google, and defending customers’ privateness. The newly introduced “Public Content Policy” will now be a part of Reddit’s current Privacy Policy and Content Policy to information how Reddit’s knowledge is being accessed and utilized by business entities and different companions. Related to this, the corporate additionally introduced a subreddit devoted to researchers working with Reddit’s knowledge.

The announcement comes shortly after Reddit’s inventory market debut, positioning the corporate to extend income not solely from advertisements operating on its platform and API utilization by builders, but in addition from its trove of knowledge. The firm mentioned in its IPO prospectus that it has already accomplished so Earned $203 million via knowledge licensing agreements And this quantity is predicted to extend over time.

While Reddit had not traditionally blocked entry to its knowledge for AI coaching functions, it modified its course Last 12 months, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman informed The New York Times that it does not make sense for Reddit to proceed “giving away all that value for free to some of the biggest companies in the world”, indicating the corporate’s plans to maneuver additional into knowledge licensing. Get. area.

With these efforts now effectively underway, the brand new public content material coverage will additional shut down Reddit’s entry to knowledge with out additional compromise.

“Unfortunately, we see more and more commercial entities using unauthorized access or abusing authorized access to collect public data in bulk, including Reddit public content.” Reddit writes in its weblog, “Worse, these entities suppose they don’t have any limits on their use of that knowledge, they usually achieve this with out regard for person rights or privateness, ignoring correct authorized, safety, and person elimination requests . While we are going to proceed our efforts to cease identified dangerous actors, we have to do extra to largely prohibit entry to Reddit public content material to trusted actors who’ve agreed to abide by our insurance policies. But we additionally must proceed to make sure that customers, mods, researchers, and different good-faith, non-commercial actors have entry.

In different phrases, entry to Reddit knowledge will proceed to be out there for analysis and different non-commercial endeavors, however entities that need to use Reddit’s knowledge for different functions, together with AI coaching, should pay. In a graphic shared on the weblog, Reddit makes it clear that companies eager about utilizing Reddit knowledge to “empower, enhance, or enhance your product for any business purpose” require a contract. .

Meanwhile, advertisers are directed to an promoting API to handle campaigns and monitor their efficiency.

Because the corporate is basically a big web site that may be listed by search engines like google, this new coverage goals to stop any unauthorized assortment of Reddit content material whereas respecting customers’ rights.

For instance, Reddit says its companions should add customers’ selections to take away their content material. So if customers don’t desire their private posts to turn out to be fodder for future AI engines, they need to have the ability to decide out. The new coverage additionally prohibits companions from utilizing Reddit’s content material to determine people or their private data, together with for advert focusing on. Partners might not use Reddit content material to spam or harass their customers or to “assist background checks, facial recognition, government surveillance, or law enforcement in doing any of the above.”

The coverage moreover restricts entry to grownup media and makes clear that Reddit is not going to promote its customers’ private data. The firm additionally notes that it’ll by no means license personal content material akin to personal messages or personal account data, akin to customers’ emails or searching historical past, amongst different issues.

To assist researchers who need to use Reddit knowledge for non-commercial functions, the corporate has arrange a brand new subreddit, r/reddit4researchers, The firm says it’s partnering with Open Also growing a program to information and improve researchers’ collaboration with Reddit.