Reddit Blocks Old Design Login to Curb Scraping, Not Safety
So Reddit has decided that plain HTML is unsafe
Reddit now requires a login to access old.reddit.com, claiming it prevents abusive scraping and ensures safety. As a user who relies on the lean, plain HTML interface for genuine human content, I find this justification dubious. The new design is bloated with JavaScript and tracking, yet remains accessible without logging in. This move feels less like a security update and more like an attempt to protect their data goldmine from scrapers by forcing everyone onto a heavier, more controlled platform.
Let's dispel any notion that there are safety issues arising from a frontend, because that's pure PR crap.
- wktmeow
I refuse to log in to Reddit, deleted my account ages ago. And now on mobile it places an unclosable pop-over asking me to log in to continue reading. So now I only read things on desktop. Would like to stop using Reddit all together but sometimes it is genuinely useful to read some human answers, although since LLM’s train on the data I can get a lot of the same info that way at least.
- galleywest200
I don't buy the “scraping” protection when appending .json to any reddit URL still gives you the data.
Example: https://www.reddit.com/r/whatisit/comments/1v3mzl6/what_is_t...
- benjiro29
As somebody who did plenty of scraping for his own little projects, lets just say that reddit their security concerns are just PR for "we do not want to keep supporting old.reddit".
While yes, you can not simply scrap new reddit as easily as a pure html scraper is cheaper to run. And while the new reddit its js "slow down" scraping as it need to run over a headless browser. Do you slow scraping down a lot?
No. Because you can simply spin up more instances and route over more proxies. Given the fact that you can scrap millions of pages per day, on a single cheap 1 CPU node...
The limiting factor for scraping a website is not html vs js / client vs headless browser. Its avoiding detection by running from different ips, faking browser information and masking your traffic to not give off the smell of automatization (and avoiding tls fingerprinting).
I wrote this type of stuff before we had AI to help write it, in a few days time. Now with a LLM at your fingertips in a few hours, you will have a complete working version with cloaking build in.
And the larger size difference does not matter, you can block irrelevant files via faked cache responds, to give the server the impression that your a repeat client, and no need to flood your browser instance with images, fonts etc. Some think that this is a defense, aka throttling you with increased bandwidth usage lol
So in my personal opinion, its not about dealing with scrapers, but trying to push people to new reddit, so they can finall […]
- felooboolooomba
Meta has spent $2B on verification lobbying. Very successfully it seems.
In 1-2 years, you won't be able to browse the internet without scanning a body part and providing a ID for your ass.
https://www.gadgetreview.com/reddit-user-uncovers-who-is-beh...
- aucisson_masque
I think at this point I'm ready to give up on Reddit, most of my questions are already answered by LLM.
And the discussions quality on Reddit are abysmal, its filled with bots.
- account42
I noticed they logged me out when I happened on a link recently. I don't think this change will make me log back in. The value of the site has already crashed, now the only question is which site will manage to capture the mainstream link/image discussion next.
> This is because appending site: reddit.com to a search query is basically a surefire way to find results written by genuine humans.
This hasn't been true for a while now. A lot of what you find on reddit these days feels incredibly fake. It's like there should be a variant of Goodhart's law: Once a forum becomes known for genuine human writing it stops being a forum for genuine human writing.
- gblargg
Scrapers prefer old.reddit for the same reason users do: it's lean. Oh well, good thing Reddit has solved the scraping problem. It's a small price to pay to not have their site scraped anymore.
- DivingForGold
Actually plain html is what IS safe.
It is javascript that allows corporate interests to pop up and nag screen you, and otherwise control your web browsing experience to their favor.
I have an app in my browser that allows me to toggle off javascript and vanquish most pop ups and nag screens.
- khurs
Reddit has licensing deals with OpenAI and Google, so is likely trying to keep other AI companies out
https://mediaandthemachine.substack.com/p/reddits-new-ai-lic...
- msny
I only used old.reddit, it's a sad day as I say goodbye to reddit because the new layout is terrible and since they killed open reddit clients there is no alternative.