All policy changes
2012-10
Reddit reaffirms 'we won't ban distasteful content' during violentacrez/creepshots era
- Date
- 2012-10
- Type
- content policy
- Affected areas
- Moderation philosophy; legal-but-objectionable content
What changed
Amid the October 2012 Gawker expose that unmasked the moderator 'violentacrez' (Michael Brutsch) behind r/creepshots and other communities, CEO Yishan Wong publicly defended Reddit's free-speech doctrine, stating Reddit would not ban legal content 'even if we find it odious.' The stance marked the high-water mark of Reddit's minimal-moderation policy before later reversals.