Hackers Threaten to Release Reddit Data Unless API Changes Are Rolled Back

[Analog Kid]

I'm sorry, am I really reading people supporting a band of criminals because they think these black hats might reduce the revenue a free entertainment site makes?

What a bunch of entitled children throwing a tantrum...

 

[jedimasterkyle]

Reddit hasn't done anything wrong. They're the ONLY social media company that hasn't been charging for API access. Just because people got used to something doesn't mean they have a right to that thing.

If a water company had a good standing with a local community and provided a pipeline of free, clean water for over a decade and then suddenly changed it's mind and started charging ungodly amounts of money for that same water overnight, without negotiating with the community or discussing the situation...I'd expect to see pitchforks too. And since there were no rules put in place BEFORE that pipeline was provided, why should the users expect anything but a right to that water, especially when it's been used to grow the community even more?

As a company, they should have realized that by offering their API for free from the start, the community was going to expect that to remain in place. But without any negotiating in good faith or meeting in the middle on a compromise, they decided to shoot themselves in the foot, blame the community for pulling the trigger and then give these 3rd party devs the hospital bill. If they had charged a fee for the API right from the beginning, then all of this would be completely different.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Question: What happens if you use your Apple ID login for Reddit? (Because Apple gives the option to hide the email when signing in).

Can that still be hacked?

 

[jimbobb24]

This is what comes of over reacting to corporate decisions with such absurd passion. Corporations are going to do their thing but all these protests are now fueling law breaking … over a decision about APIs and costs. Mind boggling.

 

[Analog Kid]

And since there were no rules put in place BEFORE that pipeline was provided, why should the users expect anything but a right to that water

Since there were no rules put in place why would you expect a right to anything that isn't yours?!

I'm suddenly thinking about all the rules I haven't made and how many things people might suddenly be willing to burn my house down over because they've assumed rights they don't have...

Are you sure you aren't @sithlordkyle ? "Yes, feel your anger... Those API fees making you pay for access to opinions on trivial things... Let that anger flow from you!"

 

[deebinem]

What a bunch of entitled children throwing a tantrum...

Kind of how I feel about all of the internet.

 

[Devyn89]

I don’t understand why so many people still use Reddit The few times I've been there it seems like the cesspool of the internet.

I agree but everywhere on the internet these days is the cesspool of the internet lol.

 

[cocky jeremy]

Good. Burn Reddit to the ground. Greedy pricks!

 

[roar08]

Once you make it to the top of the mountain, what's left for you but lightning?

 

[DailySlow]

Well, not quite innocent “users” as that species ought to know that weaponized (yes, hate that word) entitlement has Karmic consequences. Always has always will.

 

[ninethirty]

If a water company had a good standing with a local community and provided a pipeline of free, clean water for over a decade and then suddenly changed it's mind and started charging ungodly amounts of money for that same water overnight, without negotiating with the community or discussing the situation...I'd expect to see pitchforks too. And since there were no rules put in place BEFORE that pipeline was provided, why should the users expect anything but a right to that water, especially when it's been used to grow the community even more?

As a company, they should have realized that by offering their API for free from the start, the community was going to expect that to remain in place. But without any negotiating in good faith or meeting in the middle on a compromise, they decided to shoot themselves in the foot, blame the community for pulling the trigger and then give these 3rd party devs the hospital bill. If they had charged a fee for the API right from the beginning, then all of this would be completely different.

Reddit doesn't need to negotiate or meet in the middle. Senior leadership is preparing for an IPO, and once shares are issued and bought, there's an expectation from shareholders that the company will be profitable. It's as simple as that.

Literally the only thing that reddit should be offering to users right now is to take them more seriously when it comes to UX and UI issues with the desktop site and mobile app.

 

[ninethirty]

Good. Burn Reddit to the ground. Greedy pricks!

How dare they want to become profitable!

 

[ericesque]

Agreed! What if these hackers find a way to bring Apollo back?

That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works!

 

[surfzen21]

I’m willing to pay these hackers to watch them do it. 🤐

Reddit CEO deserves this. He started this fire now he’s going to be facing the consequences.

They should have asked for less money but the CEO getting fired and the API pricing changes restricted to a reasonable fee.

 

[JPack]

Pretty desperate move by the hackers. Do they really think it'll do anything? 😂

It's sort of like terrorists inflicting harm their own people to force a change. It's not going to work.

 

[jedimasterkyle]

Reddit doesn't need to negotiate or meet in the middle. Senior leadership is preparing for an IPO, and once shares are issued and bought, there's an expectation from shareholders that the company will be profitable. It's as simple as that.

So it's potentially record profits for people who have entirely too much money anyways while the devs who grew the community are priced out of existence just because they were utilizing something that was provided for free in order to help the community grow.

It's going to be fun to watch how profitable Reddit will be after all of this. You can cover dog **** in glitter and call it a diamond but in the end it's still dog ****.

 

[BadMacRumours]

This country is a rule of law country. Blackmail has no standing.

You must be new to the states.

 

[KaiFiMacFan]

I agree but everywhere on the internet these days is the cesspool of the internet lol.

Seriously. Sites like Reddit and YouTube are what you make of them. The “viral” videos on YouTube are usually mind-numbing, but if you dig a bit deeper, find a niche, find a community, you can find some good stuff. It depends on what you’re looking for. I think Reddit is best for niche subs, like one for fans of a podcast or one dedicated to a hobby. I’ve found some decent, helpful stuff on Reddit. I also think the quality of the internet is a lot of what you put into it: garbage in, garbage out, as they say.

 

[TimeAndOrSpace]

I give it 5 minutes before u/spez blames Christian Selig for the hacking

 

[Orange Bat]

I don’t think Reddit is technically wrong in charging to use their API, but they sure are handling it poorly. The suddenness of the change, the exorbitant pricing right out of the gate, and the terrible communication is the real issue. This is a publicity issue that could have easily been avoided with a better, more capable CEO.

 

[ninethirty]

So it's potentially record profits for people who have entirely too much money anyways while the devs who grew the community are priced out of existence just because they were utilizing something that was provided for free in order to help the community grow.

It's going to be fun to watch how profitable Reddit will be after all of this. You can cover dog **** in glitter and call it a diamond but in the end it's still dog ****.

For anyone else paying attention, this is a classic example of not having a clue what's going on or how things work, but getting real rebellious about it anyway.

The reality is, while reddit gave API access for free, they paid for that, while the dude who created Apollo made millions, thanks to reddit. He's not some small mom and pop shop that got squeezed out by some big bad corporation. He was lucky he took advantage while he did. And quite frankly, he tried to extort reddit also.

Other/similar social media companies charge for API access, and they charge similar amounts to what reddit is planning to charge also. So we can drop the "greedy evil bad big company reddit" bs.

It's going to be fun watching reddit continue to grow. Power users might leave, but the vast majority of people using reddit aren't power users, and they'll remain. They'll get advertised to just the same, and reddit will be just fine.

When things imploded at Digg, there was reddit, waiting in the wind. But right now there isn't anyone else waiting in the wind. Reddit is going to be fine, and good for them, because they haven't done anything wrong.

 

[Geoff12889]

This country is a rule of law country. Blackmail has no standing.

I'm semi-cool with them using it to try and coerce Reddit to undo their new API rules and fees, but I do not support them blackmailing for the sake of financial gain in the form of the $4.5 million they are also requesting. Other's like Anonymous have used hacking to call out dirty and corrupt businesses and government. I don't support hacking for monetary gain, but vigilante hacking with the right intentions and goals, for the greater good I wouldn't say it has "no standing." Though myself, would never resort to such behavior, and I wouldn't support it other than expressing my opinions on the matter.

 

[jedimasterkyle]

I give it 5 minutes before u/spez blames Christian Selig for the hacking

It's no-accountability 101.

Point the finger at the guy who called you out for not doing your job as a way to make yourself look better.

 

[sw1tcher]

I’m willing to pay these hackers to watch them do it. 🤐

Reddit CEO deserves this. He started this fire now he’s going to be facing the consequences.

You want to incentivize (encourage) hackers to break into computer systems and release compromised data all because you don't like how someone is running their business?

With all the time, energy and effort being spent to try to get Reddit to reverse course, you'd think everyone would instead work together to create a new platform to replace/compete against Reddit.

 

[andrewxgx]

I don’t understand why so many people still use Reddit The few times I've been there it seems like the cesspool of the internet.

congratulations, you just discovered why people love reddit