GoKawiilReddit to push users toward logged-in access as search referrals fall
Reddit announced during its Q3 earnings call that it will shift toward a primarily logged-in experience, citing a drop of more than 1 million weekly search referrals in October. The company's global daily active users held flat at 130.3 million, but U.S. daily actives fell to 50.7 million from 53.2 million in Q2, a 2% year-over-year decline. Reddit warned daily active users could drop by a low double-digit percentage next quarter if the trend continues, even as revenue rose 53% year-over-year to $895 million.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The move suggests Reddit wants to limit free AI scraping of its content while steering more users into accounts, which could strengthen its position in licensing deals with AI model providers. It also reflects a broader pattern, seen across Google and other publishers, where AI-generated answers are reducing the need for users to click through to original sites. The tension between slowing user growth and surging revenue indicates Reddit may be betting that tighter control over data monetization can offset losses from declining open-web traffic.
- Reddit is shifting toward a primarily logged-in experience to protect data from AI scraping.
- U.S. daily active users fell to 50.7 million in Q3, down 2% year-over-year, while search referrals dropped over 1 million per week in October.
- Despite user declines, Q3 revenue grew 53% year-over-year to $895 million, partly through AI licensing deals.
Source: techcrunch.com — Sarah Perez, 2026-10-29
Published there as: “As search traffic dries up, Reddit announces it’s shifting to a logged-in experience”
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