Moderators Complain About COVID-19 Misinformation, Here's Reddit's Answer

Reddit still wants to be a platform for open debate. (photo; unsplash)

Jakarta - After hundreds of moderators urged Reddit to ban COVID-19 misinformation on their platform, Reddit is now taking a stand. The platform responded by upholding its decision to allow "debate and dissent" about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine.

In an open letter about r/vaxx happening, more than 450 moderators from various subreddits called on the platform to ban any community that contains misinformation about COVID-19. Moderators from some of the largest subreddits took part with the request, including those from r/aww, r/lifeprotips, and r/dataisbeautiful.

The letter lashed out at Reddit, saying the platform had "not done anything substantial" to combat misinformation about the pandemic. It calls on Reddit to ban "subreddits that exist solely to spread medical disinformation and undermine efforts to combat the global pandemic." The post received over 169,000 positive votes.

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman responded to the moderator's letter in a post on r/announcements. He noted that while Reddit supports the CDC's recommendations on vaccination and concealment, it does not support closing subreddits that hold opposing views.

"Diversity is part of Reddit and the foundation of democracy," Huffman said. "Reddit is a place for open and authentic discussion and debate. This includes conversations that question or disagree with popular consensus."

Reddit won't take action against subreddits involved in "debate and dissent" on the pandemic, but the platform will post links to the CDC if needed.

It will continue to use its quarantine tool on subreddits that promote false information or may offend some users, requiring users to click on warning messages to enter the community.

Huffman also noted that it will continue to take action against subreddits that pose a threat. This includes communities that "manipulate or deceive Reddit to reinforce a particular point of view," engage in fraud, encourage harm, or violate other Reddit rules.

The moderators who wrote the open letter, as well as members of the r/vaxxhappened community, were clearly dissatisfied with Reddit's response. An ongoing thread on the subreddit criticized the platform's decision not to ban COVID-19 misinformation.

Reddit Takes a Step Back

Is Reddit doing enough to combat misinformation? Other social platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram, are all very strict about what is and isn't allowed when it comes to COVID-19 misinformation.

Reddit's response to the open letter suggests that it is taking a more hands-off approach to the situation, leading some to wonder if this will lead to more uncertainty and doubt.