Reddit has introduced a new policy to warn users who frequently upvote content that violates its guidelines, the company announced on Wednesday. Initially, the warnings will focus on violent content, but Reddit may expand the policy over time.According to the announcement, users who repeatedly upvote multiple posts that have been removed for breaking Reddit’s rules within a certain timeframe will receive warnings. The goal is to reduce the spread of harmful content while maintaining a fair and balanced approach to moderation.
A Reddit employee clarified that this change is unlikely to affect most users, as the majority already downvote or report inappropriate content instead of engaging with it. However, concerns were raised in the announcement’s comment section, with one user worrying that the new system might make people hesitant to vote at all. Addressing this, the employee assured that Reddit is carefully monitoring the rollout to prevent unintended consequences. “This would be an unacceptable side effect, which is why we want to monitor this closely and ramp it up thoughtfully,” they explained.
Reddit has previously tested similar measures in quarantined communities, where the approach helped reduce exposure to harmful content. Based on these results, the platform is now expanding the experiment across the site to see if it can further curb the spread of policy-violating posts.
While the initial focus is on violent content, Reddit may extend the warning system to other types of rule-breaking behavior in the future. The company is also considering additional actions beyond warnings, although no specifics have been announced yet.By taking this approach, Reddit aims to create a safer platform while ensuring that responsible users can continue engaging with content without unnecessary restrictions.
