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Reddit Watch is a comprehensive, well-sourced, neutral-but-critical public archive of Reddit's documented issues, controversies, moderation problems, defamation challenges, and real-world impacts from Reddit's 2005 founding to 2026.

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An independent, non-affiliated research project. Not endorsed by or associated with Reddit, Inc. See our methodology & disclaimers.

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The archive

Issues Database

Every documented issue, searchable and filterable by category, year, and keyword. Toggle between grid and timeline views, and export the filtered set to CSV.

Photoplunder and Reddit's Involuntary-Imagery Communities

Reddit hosted a cluster of communities built around sharing images of women obtained without consent — including r/photoplunder, which scraped private photos from Photobucket, and r/CandidFashionPolice — curbed largely by outside legal pressure rather than Reddit policy.

Real-World Harm & DoxxingSecurity & Data Breaches

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1…56

December 20143 sources

Reddit takes down r/SonyGOP, the Sony Pictures hack distribution forum

In December 2014, after the Guardians of Peace breach of Sony Pictures, Redditors used r/SonyGOP to index and link the leaked emails, scripts, salaries, and employee data — until Reddit removed the subreddit and banned its lone moderator following DMCA pressure from Sony.

Major Scandals & BacklashesSecurity & Data Breaches

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April 20143 sources

r/technology Stripped of Default Status After Secret AutoModerator Keyword Censorship

Moderators of r/technology, then a Reddit default subreddit, were exposed in April 2014 for secretly using AutoModerator to delete any submission whose title contained ~50 banned keywords including 'NSA', 'Snowden', 'Bitcoin', and 'net neutrality'. Reddit removed the subreddit from its default list in response.

Moderation & Power AbuseMajor Scandals & BacklashesPolicy Changes & User Revolts

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