9 June 2023, Bengaluru, India
Reddit claims it would make an exception for accessibility apps under its recently amended API rules, which give users—including those who are blind or visually impaired—a way to access and utilize Reddit. The carve-out follows Reddit’s announcement of new API terms that would drive away most third-party app developers since they would be unable to pay the hefty costs associated with the new price. For instance, the creator of the well-known Reddit app Apollo claimed that maintaining his business would cost him $20 million annually even though the app doesn’t generate any revenue. Several Reddit communities declared they would go dark in protest of Reddit’s new policy as a reaction against the changes grew.
The Verge was the first to report on the exemption to Reddit’s API price, citing remarks made by a Reddit representative, Tim Rathschmidt.
Rathschmidt claimed in a statement published with TechCrunch that Reddit has “connected with select developers of non-commercial apps that address accessibility needs and offered them exemptions from our large-scale pricing terms.”
The news of the planned protest spread across Reddit, and community moderators like those in the /Blind subreddit expressed support for it, stressing how the new terms would affect the apps they rely on to access the site, such as Reddit for Blind, Luna for Reddit, and other screen readers.
The announcement came as a result of the news of the planned protest. In response to Reddit’s modifications, they declared they will take part in the protest for 48 hours, from June 12 to June 14. Other popular subreddits like r/aww, r/videos, r/Futurology, r/LifeHacks, r/bestof, r/gaming, r/music, r/pics, r/todayilearned, r/art, r/DIY, r/gadgets, r/sports, r/mildlyinteresting, and many more are also taking part. The population of a few of these settlements is in the millions.
After The Verge’s article announcing the new exception for accessible apps was published, /Blind moderator MostlyBlindGamer shared that they had not yet received any clarification from Reddit regarding the definition of “accessibility-focused apps” or the procedure for having apps meet the requirements under the new rules. They did, however, mention a contact they had with Reddit during which they were questioned about apps that offer accessibility features but were not made aware of the reason for their inquiry.
The blind and visually impaired community has different access needs, and we have serious worries that Reddit lacks the knowledge to take those needs into account,” stated MostlyBlindGamer, adding that they had also contacted Reddit for additional feedback. They added that r/blind and another moderator, u/rumster, had contacted Reddit several times over the previous three years on accessibility issues but had “received no substantive response.”
The r/Blind community is currently compiling a list of applications that would fall under the new exception. These include screen readers like Reddit for Blind, Luna for Reddit, Dystopia, and BaconReader, as well as other general-purpose applications that make use of iOS accessibility APIs or include accessible features like the ability to change the text size, contrast, colour, and more.
Reddit has previously emphasized the necessity of the new pricing, with spokesperson Rathschmidt noting that “access to data has impact and costs involved, and in terms of safety and privacy we have an obligation to our communities to be responsible stewards of data,” and that the intention was not to “kill” third-party apps.
[Source of Information: Techcrunch.com]
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