Reddit insists on charging API: several third-party App announces closure, and users denounce "what do I do"
CTOnews.com, June 12 / PRNewswire-Asianet /-- following Twitter, Reddit, a well-known American question and answer platform, has also begun to make a big cut on its own API. Reddit said it will start charging for existing API on July 1, and the existing Reddit free API will expire on June 30, when third-party Reddit will not work properly.
▲ map source PexelsCTOnews.com learned that under the new Reddit policy, a third party needs to pay US $0.24 per thousand transfers of Reddit API. Although Reddit also provides "free API", users can only call 10 times per minute, so it will also affect the normal browsing of users.
At present, many third-party App developers have protested against Reddit's actions, and some developers have taken more drastic action. Developer Christian Selig announced last week that his third-party "Apollo" App will be shut down on June 30.
▲ Touyuan RedditSelig said his third-party Reddit App called API more than 70 billion times last month, so Reddit's new App policy will cost him "nearly $2 million a month, more than $20 million a year".
Other well-known third-party Reddit App, such as RIF, ReddPlanet and Sync, also announced that they would stop service on the same day. RIF says its revenue is far from being able to cover the costs of Reddit API.
RIF also accused Reddit's development guide of not allowing third-party App to display advertisements, and that "Reddit official App can display NSFW (Not Suitable for Work, not suitable for work) content, but does not allow third-party App display," obviously, "only state officials are allowed to set fires, and people are not allowed to light lamps."
Reddit's CEO Hoffman (Steve Huffman) said that despite user protests, he would not abandon his plan to charge for the platform's API interface, as this is a necessary condition for Reddit to be self-sufficient. Reddit is not yet profitable and cannot continue to provide free API interfaces for businesses that need a lot of data, he said.
Under the dispute between developers and Reddit officials, there are a large number of buyout or subscribing third-party App users. In this case, it is obvious that Reddit will firmly implement the paid API system, so all Reddit third-party App will not be available at that time, and quite a number of users have expressed dissatisfaction with this, but the complaints are completely overshadowed by the war of words between developers and Reddit officials. The final victims of this "war" are only users who "bought a third-party App".
For CTOnews.com friends who buy a "buyout" third party Reddit App, you can get a refund in the app store you bought, or contact the official for compensation.
▲ diagram source App Store
