Reddit which is known much for than a content-sharing or just social bookmarking site instituted a new rule – in an efforts that suggest a total banned on sexual content featuring minors. The site earlier put a lot of efforts in instigating the anti-SOPA internet blackout, showing the power of online activism in a current increasingly social web.
“We have very few rules here on Reddit; no spamming, no cheating, no personal info, nothing illegal, and no interfering the site’s functions,” read a post on the site’s blog Sunday. “Today we are adding another rule.” The post noted that Reddit has dealt with content that probably be child pornography by complying with legal guidelines and reporting procedures outlined by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The post did not specify which sub-reddit prompted the move, but Erik Martin, general manager for Reddit, says that outrage over a subreddit called /r/preteen_girls was the tipping point, confirming a report in The Daily Dot. Reddit in its recent necessary move end the /r/jailbait controversy, Reddit admins have finally banned the posting suggestive or sexual images of children. The move came after outrage over the subreddit /r/preteen_girls had reached a fever pitch Sunday afternoon. Here’s a list of the banned subreddits; more will no doubt be added as trolls try to test Reddit’s resolve over the next few days. (r/blog)
Reddit Blog further states, “Beyond these clear cut cases, there is a huge area of legally grey content, and our previous policy to deal with it on a case by case basis has become unsustainable. We have changed our policy because interpreting the vague and debated legal guidelines on a case by case basis has become a massive distraction and risks Reddit being pulled in to legal quagmire.” The site is calling on its users to flag such content.”
Reddit, which is having over 2 billion pageviews and more than 30 million unique visitors in December, isn’t the first Internet property to grapple with putting limits on free speech. Earlier Twitter ban its content and showing the content on country-by-country basis i.e. if one content is banned in one country it will appear in others.
