- Date
- 2022
- Trigger
- Record surge in DMCA takedown notices from rightsholders and Reddit's escalated enforcement of its repeat-infringer policy
- Policy change
- Aggressive application of the repeat-infringer 'copyright strikes' policy leading to permanent community bans
- Communities removed
- 3,215 subreddits (plus 5,853 users) banned in 2022
What happened
According to Reddit's 2022 Transparency Report, Reddit permanently banned 3,215 subreddits and 5,853 users for repeat copyright infringement over calendar year 2022 — an all-time high and roughly a 105% year-over-year increase in subreddit bans. The purge disproportionately hit piracy and unauthorized-streaming communities; the ~300,000-member r/PiratedGames was banned without advance warning on August 18, 2022 (though briefly reinstated). Reporting tied the wave to a spike in DMCA notices (665,898 pieces of content reported over the year). It is the most heavily documented themed multi-community mass-removal action on Reddit in the 2022-2026 window.