Is Reddit Safe?

If you use or plan to use Reddit, you need to know: Is Reddit safe? 

Below, we explain whether Reddit is: 

• Safe to use. 
• Good for privacy. 

We also give some steps you can take to improve both your safety and privacy when using this online service. 

What Is Reddit?

Reddit is a website that aggregates social news, allows web content rating, and gives users a platform for discussions in a forum setting. It’s effectively a massive global online forum with lots of sub-forums.

On Reddit, users create content like links, text posts, and images, which can then be voted up or down by other users. Comments about posts can also be voted up or down, influencing their visibility.

Reddit is organized into communities known as “subreddits,” each focused on a specific topic, such as r/science or r/funny. The number of upvotes minus the number of downvotes determines a post’s visibility and ranking within the subreddit. Subreddits are typically moderated by volunteers who work to keep the forum on track and remove inappropriate content.

Users earn karma points when their posts or comments are upvoted. Karma reflects a user’s contribution to the community but has no real-world value.

Is Reddit Safe?

While Reddit has various features and policies to enhance safety and privacy – including moderation, anonymous account creation, content filters, reporting tools, and adjustable privacy settings –  users should be aware of potential risks and take appropriate measures to protect themselves.

In 2023, Reddit was targeted by a major hacking attack. Threat actors used phishing to gain access to the company’s internal servers. The BlackCat ransomware gang claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened to leak 80 gigabytes of stolen data as a result of Reddit’s API price hikes. The nature of the stolen data was not released. 

Is Reddit Private?

Depends on your definition of “privacy.” 

Reddit’s privacy policy emphasizes that it is a public platform, and any user can see other users’ profiles, posts, and comments. Depending on what you post, you could inadvertently “doxx” yourself or be doxxed by others. 

That said, Reddit does not require users to share their real names to create an account. Its privacy policy also states that the only data Reddit collects is used to provide its services and that it never works with data brokers. 

But that doesn’t mean your Reddit data is safe. Like other publicly available information, your Reddit data was more than likely used to train AI models, such as Google’s conversational AI service Bard and OpenAI’s ChatGPT. 

Reddit is just as unhappy about this as you are, which is why, instead of letting anyone scrape your data, it will now sell it. The somewhat good news is that Reddit has a new public content policy that restricts the kind of data partners can access and how they can use it. For example, partners can’t access public content that includes adult media or use content to identify individuals. 

Third parties that rate internet services’ terms of service and privacy policies have not been favorable to Reddit. 

Terms of Service; Didn’t Read gives Reddit a “Grade E,” highlighting some privacy concerns. 

Similarly, the Common Sense Privacy Program, which evaluates apps and services for children, gives Reddit’s privacy policy a rating of 62% (out of 100%), meaning it doesn’t meet its privacy and security practices recommendations. 

Some potential issues the Common Sense Privacy Program highlights include Reddit’s collection of user interactions, behaviors, and usage analytics, the platform’s sharing of personal information for third-party marketing, and third-party data collection. 

How to Improve Your Safety and Privacy on Reddit

Take the below steps to improve your safety and privacy when posting on Reddit. 

• Create a unique username. Choose a username that does not reveal your real identity. Avoid using any part of your real name or other personal identifiers.
• Don’t share personal information. On a similar note, avoid sharing any personal information in posts, comments, or direct messages. This includes your real name, address, phone number, and any other identifying details.
• Use a throwaway account. If you’d like to ask a sensitive question, consider using a throwaway account that is separate from your main Reddit account. This helps keep your primary account more private.
• Request your data. Fill out the form at this link to ask Reddit for a copy of the data it has about your account. 
• Disable personalized ads and data tracking. Under User Settings > Privacy & Security, disable “Personalize All of Reddit Based on My Logged Out Activity” and “Personalize Ads Based on Information from Our Partners” to limit data tracking and personalized ads.
• Hide your online status. Under User Settings > Profile, toggle off “Show My Online Status” so others cannot see when you are active on Reddit.
• Control who can follow you. Adjust your profile settings for who can follow you, for example, Followers or Nobody.
• Prevent search engines from indexing your profile. In your profile settings, turn off “Allow Search Engines to Index Your Profile” to prevent your profile from appearing in search engine results.
• Keep your activity private. In your profile settings, toggle off “Show Active Communities” and “Show up in r/all” to prevent your activity from being publicly visible.
• Review app permissions. If you use third-party apps to access Reddit, review the permissions you’ve granted and revoke any unnecessary ones via User Settings > Apps & Websites to limit the possibility of having your account info leaked.
• Regularly review and update your settings. This way, you can ensure they align with your privacy preferences.