Reddit, known for its vibrant community and vast data pool, has been making headlines for its recent changes to its API policies. Earlier this year, Reddit pivoted its business model, focusing on monetizing its data by charging for access to third parties. This shift came in response to the increasing demand for data to train AI models. The new policies led to the demise of many popular third-party Reddit apps that relied on free access to Reddit’s data, sparking user backlash and protests. However, Reddit has since recovered and secured deals with major players like Google and OpenAI. Google pays Reddit $60 million annually for direct access to its data, while OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other AI tools now incorporate Reddit posts in their responses. But not all tech giants have been willing to cooperate. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman recently accused Microsoft, Anthropic, and Perplexity of refusing to negotiate for access to Reddit’s data. Huffman alleges that Microsoft has been using Reddit’s data to train its AI without any notification or compensation. He further claimed that Microsoft has been selling access to Reddit’s data through its Bing API to other search engines. To enforce its new policies, Reddit has implemented a new update that prohibits all web crawling on its platform. This effectively blocks search engines like Bing, DuckDuckGo, and others that haven’t reached an agreement with Reddit from accessing its data. The ongoing dispute highlights the growing tension between tech giants and social media platforms over the control and monetization of user data in the age of AI. As AI development relies heavily on large datasets, companies like Reddit are seeking to capitalize on their vast data stores, while companies like Microsoft are facing the challenge of accessing these valuable resources.
Reddit CEO Slams Microsoft for Refusing to Negotiate for AI Data Access
