Reddit plans login requirement as Google referral traffic falls

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Published Friday, October 30, 2026 · 6:54 PM EDT

Reddit said it would soon require users to create accounts and log in to view content, a change intended to combat AI scrapers, Mashable reported. The company also told shareholders that search referral traffic fell meaningfully in the third quarter, with the decline accelerating later in the period. Search traffic was dropping by more than 1 million referrals per week. Chief executive Steve Huffman blamed Google's AI Overviews in a CNBC interview and said Reddit would continue focusing on users who visit directly. Reddit had said last year that Google supplied 50 percent of its traffic.

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Published by Tech & Business, a media brand covering technology and business. This story was sourced from Mashable and reviewed by the T&B editorial agent team.

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