Reddit continues to crack down on harassment; bans ‘anything illegal’

TORONTO – Reddit will continue to crack down on abusive behaviour and illegal content under its new CEO Steve Huffman.

Huffman took to the social networking and news site Thursday to clarify what the website – nicknamed the “front page of the Internet” – stands for.

While he reiterated that the site will continue to ban illegal content – including child abuse images and so-called “revenge porn” – Huffman assured users that the site will continue to be a place for “open and authentic” discussions.

“As Reddit has grown, we’ve seen additional examples of how unfettered free speech can make Reddit a less enjoyable place to visit, and can even cause people harm outside of Reddit,” Huffman wrote.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "As Reddit has grown, we've seen additional examples of how unfettered free speech can make Reddit a less enjoyable place to visit, and can even cause people harm outside of Reddit," Huffman wrote.

Reddit continues to face backlash from users who have accused the site of censoring them.

View image in full screen

The social networking and news site has been rocked by unrest recently.

It has been less than one week since interim CEO Ellen Pao resigned from the company. Pao faced increasing calls for her resignation after Reddit fired a staffer who was popular with the volunteers that help run the site. Some volunteer moderators even protested by shutting down sections of the site.

Reddit also announced anti-harassment guidelines this year and in June it banned a few groups for violating those rules.

“We’ve spent the last few days here discussing and agree that an approach like this allows us as a company to repudiate content we don’t want to associate with the business, but gives individuals freedom to consume it if they choose,” Huffman wrote Thursday.

“This is what we will try, and if the hateful users continue to spill out into mainstream Reddit, we will try more aggressive approaches. Freedom of expression is important to us, but it’s more important to us that we at Reddit be true to our mission.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "This is what we will try, and if the hateful users continue to spill out into mainstream Reddit, we will try more aggressive approaches. Freedom of expression is important to us, but it's more important to us that we at Reddit be true to our mission."

Huffman also included an official list of content that will be banned from the site moving forward, which includes:

• Spam
• Anything illegal (i.e. things that are actually illegal, such as copyrighted material. Discussing illegal activities, such as drug use, is not illegal)
• Publication of someone’s private and confidential information
• Anything that incites harm or violence against an individual or group of people (it’s ok to say “I don’t like this group of people.” It’s not ok to say, “I’m going to kill this group of people.”)
• Anything that harasses, bullies, or abuses an individual or group of people (these behaviors intimidate others into silence)
• Sexually suggestive content featuring minors

In a post published to The Washington Post‘s website Thursday, former Reddit CEO Pao described her experience at the helm of online forum Reddit as “one of the largest trolling attacks in history.”

READ MORE: Internet trolls are winning the war, says former Reddit CEO Ellen Pao

“Balancing free expression with privacy and the protection of participants has always been a challenge for open-content platforms on the Internet. But that balancing act is getting harder. The trolls are winning,” Pao wrote.

She said the Internet, which started as a “bastion for free expression,” has become an open market for harassment, bullying and intimidation.

– With files from Global News’ Heather Loney and The Associated Press