Revamping the Quarantine Function
While Reddit has had a quarantine function for almost three years now, we have learned in the process. Today, we are updating our quarantining policy to reflect those learnings, including adding an appeals process where none existed before.
On a platform as open and diverse as Reddit, there will sometimes be communities that, while not prohibited by the Content Policy, average redditors may nevertheless find highly offensive or upsetting. In other cases, communities may be dedicated to promoting hoaxes (yes we used that word) that warrant additional scrutiny, as there are some things that are either verifiable or falsifiable and not seriously up for debate (eg, the Holocaust did happen and the number of people who died is well documented). In these circumstances, Reddit administrators may apply a quarantine.
The purpose of quarantining a community is to prevent its content from being accidentally viewed by those who do not knowingly wish to do so, or viewed without appropriate context. We’ve also learned that quarantining a community may have a positive effect on the behavior of its subscribers by publicly signaling that there is a problem. This both forces subscribers to reconsider their behavior and incentivizes moderators to make changes.
Quarantined communities display a warning that requires users to explicitly opt-in to viewing the content (similar to how the NSFW community warning works). Quarantined communities generate no revenue, do not appear in non-subscription-based feeds (eg Popular), and are not included in search or recommendations. Other restrictions, such as limits on community styling, crossposting, the share function, etc. may also be applied. Quarantined subreddits and their subscribers are still fully obliged to abide by Reddit’s Content Policy and remain subject to enforcement measures in cases of violation.
Moderators will be notified via modmail if their community has been placed in quarantine. To be removed from quarantine, subreddit moderators may present an appeal here. The appeal should include a detailed accounting of changes to community moderation practices. (Appropriate changes may vary from community to community and could include techniques such as adding more moderators, creating new rules, employing more aggressive auto-moderation tools, adjusting community styling, etc.) The appeal should also offer evidence of sustained, consistent enforcement of these changes over a period of at least one month, demonstrating meaningful reform of the community.
You can find more detailed information on the quarantine appeal and review process here.
This is another step in how we’re thinking about enforcement on Reddit and how we can best incentivize positive behavior. We’ll continue to review the impact of these techniques and what’s working (or not working), so that we can assess how to continue to evolve our policies. If you have any communities you’d like to report, tell us about it here and we’ll review. Please note that because of the high volume of reports received we can’t individually reply to every message, but a human will review each one.
Edit: Signing off now, thanks for all your questions!
Double edit: typo.
8,668 comments · 62% upvoted · other discussions
Wouldn't this make these communities echo chambers, where outsiders aren't even aware of what is being said. Wouldn't this also make it less likely that reportable offences get reported?
landoflobsters [OP] 545 points · Sep 2018
Good question. You are still able to join the community and see what’s happening. We have a wide variety of methods for detecting violations and we will action based on all of the signals we get. Our primary goal is to limit exposure, but we are aware of challenges of echo chambers and we’ll continue to think about our policies and what makes sense.
[deleted] 241 points · Sep 2018
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[deleted] 8 points · Sep 2018
Yeah the only way to know they even exist is to be creepily "recruited" or such.
I mean I only learnt about them because /watchpeopledie had some links to /gore.
[deleted] 6 points · Sep 2018
Dude, you can't even find subreddits by Google. If you search "r/watchpeopledie reddit" nothing comes up.
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[deleted] 1,068 points · Sep 2018
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whoeve 218 points · Sep 2018
I think because all of this is a thin veneer to hide what they really want to do - grow the site by any means necessary. They don't really want to ban people, they don't really want to clean up the site. They want to grow, grow, grow, and get as many unique hits as possible a day. Social media is entirely based off this and practically every social media site has this problem. Most other sites just do jack shit whereas Reddit will do something and puke out a ton of PR bullshit.
Every effort they have made thus far shows that they don't really care, from jailbait to fatpeoplehate to t_d. They're not going to care in the future. All that matters is growth. The content is irrelevant as long as the total number of people using the site goes up.
EDIT: Even here they're basically saying "are you a fucked up individual that's going to espouse fucked up shit? Come here to Reddit with your own little corner! We'll take everyone!"
xxam925 12 points · Sep 2018
Why in the world do people expect anything different? Reddit is a business, nothing more and nothing less. It exists to make money and has no moral code, just like every other business.
Up above is a comment that says "these subreddits undermine our nation with russian bots" which is laughable. Reddit doesn't have a nationality or race, it doesn't vote or live anywhere. Why does anyone expect reddit to care about this shit? I can't even get myself to be mad.
Frothyleet 29 points · Sep 2018
I am very much not going to argue that this isn't the case for Reddit. However - this doesn't have to be the case for a business, particularly a privately owned one. I mean, I guess we get into the semantics of what makes something a "business" but it doesn't have to be an amoral entity, even publicly owned corporations are not obligated (at least in a legal sense) to pursue profit above all else.
xxam925 1 points · Sep 2018
Well kind of. I believe reddit is a subsidiary and as such the team has a fiduciary duty to grow the site and be profitable.
[deleted] 3 points · Sep 2018
People who "espouse fucked up shit" also have a right to freedom of speech. Reddit taking everyone is a good thing. What's bad is creating echo Chambers for people who say crazy shit.
whoeve 1 points · Sep 2018
Right to freedom of speech applies to laws from the government. This new talking point from the crazy-right is just dumb as fuck and shows you don't know what freedom of speech is and that you'd rather just be a mouthpiece for crazy-right groups.
[deleted] 4 points · Sep 2018
I am not right wing ya dingus, or left wing. I am not even from North America. And if you had actually read my comment and tried to understand it you would know that I too hate racism, sexism(that does include misandry), homophobia and other bigotry
whoeve 4 points · Sep 2018
And? I said it's a talking point from the crazy-right.
[deleted] 4 points · Sep 2018
No it's a not a talking points of the right wing it is the talking points for of people who know the dangers of censorship and excessive intervention by government. This includes people with all types of political stances not just right wingers.
Psykhe604 4 points · Oct 2018
Naw, they are just trying to ban anyone who isn't a left winger. Typical communist censorship in silicon valley.
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[deleted] 1 points · Oct 2018
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whoeve 1 points · Oct 2018
Sick burn with that broken English.
Insomniacrobat 1 points · Oct 2018
Which is ironic as all fuck coming from someone named whoeve.
whoeve 1 points · Oct 2018
Hoo boy.
NFGRants 1 points · Sep 2018
Then why was r/ice_poseidon was banned? It’s not like a bunch of redditors were asking for it to get banned unlike T_D, they lost traffic to their site by making this move, I understand your business perspective point but this action kind of contradicts that.
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[deleted] -14 points · Sep 2018
They want to grow but they also want to attract advertisers as well as not allow certain views. As if they wanted to grow and grow they would allow the right wing subs to stay, but instead they been banning them left and right all while ignoring what left wing subs been doing (primary carrying out witch hunts).
whoeve 14 points · Sep 2018
Hoo boy.
[deleted] 2 points · Sep 2018
Part of being in an echo chamber is not knowing you're in one, he's right. Although it's not just about politics. Mensrights is a prime example, for some fucked up reason, concern over male suicide rates, divorce laws, workplace deaths, and on and on is viewed as a "not left leaning" view when it's really more about a broad scope of wordly issues. You may see it as hate speech because someone with a useless "genders studies" degree told you so, but the reality couldn't be further from the truth.
whoeve 6 points · Sep 2018
Wow, just can't resist bringing up genders studies degrees. Do you people ever get new material?
[deleted] 1 points · Sep 2018
Do you people ever listen to anyone else?
silkysmoothjay 31 points · Sep 2018
I don't think IGTHFT can actually go further downhill.
HiHoJufro 3 points · Sep 2018
Other than, y'know, to hell.
[deleted] 18 points · Sep 2018
Quick question, what the fuck was Ice_Poseidon?
I only ever noticed it as irritating, but never gave it any more attention.
If I was skimming through /r/popular or /r/all they would pop up all the damn time. But I could never figure out the allure.
[deleted] 23 points · Sep 2018
You know how shitty Twitch chat is?
Imagine you skimmed the shittiest shit off the top of that mess, and used that to create a Twitch-based Jersey Shore.
RSNSpookykid 6 points · Sep 2018
Ice posideon is a Live Streamer who got famous playing Runescape and Pokemon go.
rafaelloaa 8 points · Sep 2018
Jokes Aside, he got big as an old school RuneScape streamer, then veered away from that as he became a little bit too insane even for that community.
E: just remember the big thing that got him pushed away from the RuneScape community, which was that he would do IRL streams and encourage his viewers to dox him and other shit like that.
[deleted] 12 points · Sep 2018
Lets see if mr mod dodges this one
THE_CRUSTIEST 10 points · Sep 2018
Guess so...
EternallyMiffed 7 points · Sep 2018
It's really hard not to strengthen censorship narratives when you're actively censoring and attempting to deplatform people.
[deleted] 20 points · Sep 2018
Just how much further downhill can cringeanarchy go?
[deleted] 50 points · Sep 2018
Have you seen the threads that don't hit /r/all, or the content posted after they get a lot of attention, like after the MDE banning? It goes from "dae SJW bad also trans people are gross" to "tbh jews belong in camps."
[deleted] 10 points · Sep 2018
Sadly yes, it's pathetic
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throwdowntown69 3 points · Sep 2018
Wouldn't this also happen if you ban them? That and one fraction of the active community will create a new sub.
Get_Dunked_On_Kidd-O 3 points · Sep 2018
Screw you. We at C.A. have always been at the bottom of the hill.
TheMoonstar74 4 points · Sep 2018
This is a great description of the problems with large subreddits and the extremely empassioned vocal minorities that populate the dark cesspools on this site
jtvjan 2 points · Sep 2018
Quarantine: At least it’s not banning™
[deleted] 5 points · Sep 2018
Hey, you get the point!
They are driving the more extreme radical users to the less extreme subs to give a reason to next go after the subs the now homeless users migrate too
[deleted] 3 points · Sep 2018
Actually doing something about anything has never been this site's forte.
DrMicolash 1 points · Sep 2018
Let's be real though. Most of these subreddits already 'quarantine' themselves by banning comments that disagree, just as the subreddits you claim they'll flock to will ban their fascist/incel/whatever comments.
RSNSpookykid 2 points · Sep 2018
Very well said.
Reddit is going full social justice warrior so I doubt the admins will listen.
When I describe reddit to people irl I say "It's like the male version of Tumblr"
[deleted] 1 points · Sep 2018
I mean, this new policy is probably response to current events and less about whats actually going in Reddit. Look at the proposed bills and implications that sites are responsible for false content we are seeing in the US because of Facebook. This allows people to express themselves no matter how shitty, but keep reddit mostly blameless. Just my thoughts...
bugsecks 1 points · Sep 2018
That’s my complaints worded basically perfectly.
Furthermore, if they’re actively acknowledging that these subreddits are hate groups, and they’re making a point of not advertising on them, then it comes off more as if they’re actively losing money to keep hate groups on the site.
dat_heet_een_vulva 1 points · Sep 2018
How would banning this subs solve the problem that the users with those views will just post on other subs though and launder their views?
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[deleted] 2 points · Sep 2018
More like pushing their political ideology while not allowing others.
Pithong 0 points · Sep 2018
CringeAnarchy is a propaganda sub, they need to be off of r/all. Their "censorship" narratives are useless when they don't have visibility. They don't "organize" outside of reddit, their entire organizing is to reach r/all and spread propaganda. The sub will lose views and lose users despite the "funneling from close and friendly subs".
[deleted] 12 points · Sep 2018
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randomthrowaway672 1 points · Sep 2018
There is no organizing in CA, hell the mods won't ban you for ANYTHING except stuff that could get the sub banned
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No-Spoilers 10 points · Sep 2018
Can subs that have been banned in the past but would now be placed under this tree be unbanned?
[deleted] 0 points · Sep 2018
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pleashalpme 1 points · Sep 2018
A lot of subs being quarantine would have otherwise eventually be banned, had quarantine not existed.
Empole 4 points · Sep 2018
How would you find it if you cant search for it?
Make_Pepe_Dank_Again 3 points · Sep 2018
Yeah, that's a lie. I cannot see quarantined subs.
polypeptide147 62 points · Sep 2018
What will you do about T_D? Should they just be outright banned for being a sub promoting hate speech and racism?
Edit: spelling
russian_hacker01 78 points · Sep 2018
There are subs like r/latestagecapitalism who literally advocate for mass murders of rich people.
If reddit doesn't ban them, I don't think they will ban hate speech.
[deleted] 25 points · Sep 2018
Here is a thread where one of their mods literally encourages their members to form fucking terrorist cells
[deleted] -1 points · Sep 2018
Ban them all.
Cronus6 3 points · Sep 2018
The FBI probably likes them right there, where they are so they can keep an eye on them. I'd speculate that they are even participating in the discussions.
[deleted] 6 points · Sep 2018
Reddit did drop its canary from the terms right?
Cronus6 3 points · Sep 2018
Yeah I read that somewhere, I've never bothered to look and verify it.
It's largely irrelevant though. That just means they have been forced to give information. Nothing is stopping Federal Agencies (or even local ones...) for making accounts and pretending to be "average" users to gain information and intel.
We know they have infiltrated various other sites/forums/onion sites. (mostly for pedos, drugs and guns.) If these subs are so "offensive and dangerous" and promoting things like forming terror cells or attacks at Nationalist rallies (the later being something T-D is often accursed of) you can bet they are watching.
Hell, I've reported a couple things I've seen on reddit to the FBI myself. (It's not hard... https://tips.fbi.gov/)
AndThenThereWasMeep 7 points · Sep 2018
That's definitely a subreddit who's comments are completely different than it's posted content (mostly). You'll find a Twitter user pointing out some societal hypocrisy or whatever, and then comments saying "can't wait for the revolution so I can kill a few bougies". It's uncomfortable
Llamaman32 5 points · Sep 2018
Yeah, isn't it strange how only right leaning subreddits have been quarantined and banned, but leftist subreddits doing the same things get no attention whatsoever?
NotEnoughCreamcheese 42 points · Sep 2018
r/FULLCOMMUNISM got quarantined
Llamaman32 23 points · Sep 2018
Oh really? Well, I’m surprised. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
ryanfitchca 8 points · Sep 2018
Why the downvotes? Guy got new information.
Edit: no longer negative
Llamaman32 4 points · Sep 2018
You’re right! I literally thanked the guy for telling me that i was wrong! I was never being ironic
ryanfitchca -1 points · Sep 2018
Hey its in the positives now at least.
shooto_muto 3 points · Sep 2018
Reddit is becoming unusable for this exact reason.
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[deleted] 4 points · Sep 2018
And if things are being quarantined for promoting misinformation, they qualify there too. They'll believe random 4chan posts with zero evidence without question as long as they say something they want to hear. Sometimes mods even delete comments and ban people for pointing out blatant lies.
scooter22394 3 points · Sep 2018
WHY CANT YOU JUST BAN PEOPLE I DISAGREE WITH?!?!
[deleted] -4 points · Sep 2018
A subreddit that I never have to visit has people I disagree with.... WHY NO BAN?! Also have you realized how it's really the right that are the snowflakes?!
Seriously the comments on this post are pure cancer.
Northsidebill1 1 points · Sep 2018
Nothing until the ad revenue drops substantially. Reddit is a business, businesses have to make money
[deleted] 0 points · Sep 2018
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polypeptide147 10 points · Sep 2018
This
This
This
This
That was just scrolling down the front page.
Oh, and you can't downvote unless you subscribe. That's really nice of them to be so inclusive!
Brimshae 3 points · Sep 2018
Poe's Law is a hell of a drug.
I can't even tell if you're serious or not.
[deleted] -5 points · Sep 2018
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polypeptide147 0 points · Sep 2018
Did you look at any of them? And the comments of 'just a picture' are literally hate speech. Try reading
undercooked_lasagna 3 points · Sep 2018
Not one thing you posted is any worse than what you'll see in any political subreddit. FFS people in /r/politics were calling for riots and murder during the Net Neutrality freakout last year.
[deleted] 2 points · Sep 2018
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MoreDetonation -2 points · Sep 2018
What would be "actual" racism for you?
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robophile-ta -3 points · Sep 2018
Can't you just press Z to downvote, or is that with RES only?
drift_summary 3 points · Sep 2018
Pressing Z now, sir
amoliski 3 points · Sep 2018
You shouldn't be down voting in linked threads. Vote brigading is against the rules- we don't need /r/announcements getting banned!!
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[deleted] -1 points · Sep 2018
Mere insults and trolling also break reddit rules.
Check td and see how far you have to scroll to find something that isn't either.
Nora_Lied 7 points · Sep 2018
"Our primary goal is to limit exposure"
They said that at book burnings.
1421mhz 11 points · Sep 2018
It’s sad to see the Reddit admins, who defended net neutrality so vigorously, essentially “throttle” traffic to subreddits that don’t abide by their own definition of a “positive community”
jarjarkinksXDD 2 points · Oct 2018
They like freedom of speech as long as it supports them
Ubiquitous-Toss 2 points · Sep 2018
So, yes...
Dragon398765 2 points · Oct 2018
This policy doesn’t make sense. For a company that claims to favor free speech, net neutrality, free thought, and the concept of progress, it’s pretty regressive to be censoring ideas you don’t agree with. Perhaps some of these subs deserve a NSFL tag at the level of the sub so that people have to opt in to fully see it, but can see that it exists.
But if you absolutely must take this route, please stay consistent and quarantine all the threads that hate men, white people, or even moderates. Surprise surprise, women can be sexist and minorities can be racist.
Ruttur 3 points · Sep 2018
Are you aware you're carefully cultivating Reddit into one giant echo chamber within the scope of all the non-quarantined subreddits?
Totally_Not_Everyone 2 points · Sep 2018
pm_your_pantsu 2 points · Sep 2018
why the donald is not in the list? they deserve to be banned
GrinninGremlin 2 points · Sep 2018
Personally, I find that a little slow. Reddit needs an option where users can choose to automatically subscribe to every sub that is quarrantined as soon as it happens so we can get the worthwhile content that is worthy of suppression without having to wade through all the drivel that isn't worthy of quarrantine.
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