In 2023 and 2024, two of the internet’s most influential platforms, Reddit and Twitter (now rebranded as X), underwent significant transformations that sparked widespread user protests and raised critical questions about the control and ownership of our digital public spaces.
Centralized Platforms: Benefits and Drawbacks
Centralized platforms like Reddit and X provide easy user experiences, large audiences, and unified moderation. However, this centralization means that choices made by a few individuals can greatly affect many users.
In June 2023, Reddit announced significant increases in API pricing, making many third-party apps unviable. This decision caused over 7,000 subreddits, including popular ones like r/funny and r/gaming, to go dark in protest. Despite the outrage, Reddit’s leaders stayed firm, showcasing the risks of centralized control.
After Elon Musk bought Twitter in late 2022, the platform changed significantly, rebranding as “X” and altering its content moderation policies. These changes caused user dissatisfaction and a drop in advertising revenue.
Musk’s main reason for buying Twitter was to promote free speech. By changing content moderation policies, X seeks to be a platform where different opinions can exist. This has attracted users looking for open discussions without too much censorship. Musk made major changes, cutting the workforce from about 8,000 to around 1,500 employees by April 2023. This was a response to a reported negative cash flow of $3 billion and aimed to streamline the company’s operations. These cost-cutting steps helped stabilize X’s finances. After facing difficulties, X saw a financial comeback, with its value rising to $44 billion in early 2025, returning to the original purchase price. This recovery is linked to strategic partnerships, including Musk’s connection with President Donald Trump and his AI startup, xAI, which have renewed investor interest and set X up for growth.
A User’s Perspective
Personally, I believe Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter has provided significant advantages for both him and the platform. Owning Twitter gives Musk control over a major social media site, enabling him to influence public discussion, support free speech, and promote his businesses like Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink. He has introduced changes such as creator monetization, longer tweets, and better transparency in content moderation. Musk’s plan for an “everything app” could make the platform more useful for payments, entertainment, and communication. While his ownership is controversial, it has made Twitter more relevant, attracting supporters who value his anti-censorship views and critics who keep it in global debates. Ultimately, Twitter amplifies Musk’s ideas and ventures, increasing his impact on tech and culture.
Reddit’s decision to raise API pricing significantly was a poor choice that hurt its ecosystem. By making it too expensive for third-party developers, Reddit pushed away the communities and tools that helped it grow. Popular apps like Apollo and RIF, which provided better usability than the official app, had to shut down, leaving many users, particularly those with disabilities, without good options. This change also discouraged developers from making new bots and tools that enhanced subreddits. Rather than encouraging collaboration, Reddit focused on quick profits, leading to backlash, protests, and blackouts from major subreddits. In the end, the API price increase damaged trust, reduced functionality, and ignored the volunteer moderators and active users who contribute to the platform’s value.
In general, it’s important to question any person or corporation that decides to buy any digital platform, whether it’s someone we already favor. As users, it’s imperative to advocate for platforms that prioritize community input and support policies promoting transparency and portability. By doing so, we can work towards a more equitable and resilient digital landscape.
MCO 425 
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