Reddit to restrict Old Reddit access based on user activity

The policy update, shared by a company representative in the r/modnews subreddit, clarifies that the restriction applies specifically to logged-in users. Moderators remain exempt from this requirement, maintaining full access to the legacy site regardless of their activity history. The company frames this shift as a means to "close the gap" left by previous security measures, which mandated logins for all users but failed to prevent inactive accounts from being exploited for unauthenticated data harvesting.

While the platform has not issued a formal sunset date for the legacy interface, this change signals a gradual pivot away from the older infrastructure. Reddit officials stated they are still evaluating the future of the classic design, even as they prioritize the protection of site content from AI-driven data scraping. The company has increasingly turned toward lucrative licensing agreements with AI developers, effectively attempting to monetize the data that was previously being siphoned by non-paying automated bots.