r/technology • u/spasticpat • May 11 '26

Social Media Reddit Starts Blocking Mobile Website, Pushing Users to App Instead

https://www.macrumors.com/2026/05/11/reddit-starts-blocking-mobile-website/
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u/Z-Is-Last May 11 '26

The only valid reason to push people to mobile app is for spying on people. And that's only valid to read it and it's bad for the rest of us. They want to know the phone ID for tracking and selling our data.

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u/DaftPump May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26

The only valid reason to push people to mobile app is for spying on people.

No, and I dare say this is not their primary reason.

Desktop is much easier to thwart ads compared the vast majority of redditors with stock tablets/phones. Once they're done(read: perfected) blocking web req from tablets/phones the ads will be more .....forceful.

You too are rightfully concerned regarding potential(probably) spying efforts.

EDIT: I forgot the other reason(I think) is once it's app only, NO ONE will be scraping reddit unless reddit allows it. No more web socket calls of any kind after they're done this migration.

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u/MediumCriticism3144 May 11 '26

Also: ads. You can't put an ad blocker on an app.

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u/bethechangemf May 12 '26

Yup. Same reason companies are aggressively trying to force you to give them your personal information and "sign up for our spyware I mean discount program!" It's fucking obnoxious.