Reddit is redirecting some impressions away from existing communities, and some advertisers are pausing campaigns.
Even if people do go back after the 30th, killing off Apollo, RIF, Bacon etc. will drastically cut traffic to Reddit. I use the desktop version maybe once a week and it’s barely for 10 minutes. All of my traffic went through Apollo. Good luck with your ad rates when your traffic plummet.
Reddit no longer cares about traffic that does not result in ad impressions. That potentially millions of 3rd party app users may leave has nothing but good consequences in their eyes (less resources spent on free users), and if even 1% of those convert to their 1st party apps or website that’s a net gain for them.
The blackout is meant to show these users are not freeloaders but are part of the backbone of the content and interaction within these communities. Having ad networks take notice is a good thing for the protest, but if it will be a flash in the pan it won’t cause any meaningful change.
I think many people were caught in the hype that they couldn’t get this perspective. Two days was never going to mean anything in the short term, and reddit had everyone backed into a powerless position from the very start of the API. Consequences to HQ from here on will be hard to quantify and drawn out, but imho they’re still squarely on the path of enshitification.
That potentially millions of 3rd party app users may leave has nothing but good consequences in their eyes (less resources spent on free users), and if even 1% of those convert to their 1st party apps or website that’s a net gain for them
But the problem is those people are potential content creators. They are arguably more advanced users, and therefore more likely to create content. And that content drives engagement, which drives ads.
The traffic you refer to only costs reddit money and doesn’t directly make reddit money.
The real question is how much indirect money it makes. The nature of social media is that only a tiny number of users actually make content and you need that content for the other users to stick around. I think third party apps users are disproportionately the heavier users that bring this indirect value.
Plus, since reddit makes money from ads, the opinions of advertisers matters. If reddit’s brand is tainted, that makes them less appealing to advertisers and that means less money. I think it’s in reddit’s best interest to be a cherished site that people like.