Reddit and the Struggle to Detoxify the Internet

The New Yorker (03/19/2018)
  • Despite its basic layout/functionality, Reddit is the world’s 4th most popular website.
  • Reddit was started in 2005 by then-recent UVA graduates Steve Huffman (current CEO) and Alexis Ohanian (Serena Williams’ husband).
  • Allowing anyone to post a link that can be voted up to the top of a page sparked Reddits’ popularity and recent criticism.
  • Complaints stem from racist, misogynistic and sexually explicit Reddit communities.
  • Seeking to clean up its image to attract advertisers, Reddit has expanded teams responsible for banning hate-inspiring and explicit content.