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Reddit experimenting with blocking mobile browsers (old.reddit.com)

submitted 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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As quoted from the linked post.

It looks like you’re part of one of our experiments. The logged-in mobile web experience is currently unavailable for a portion of users. To access the site you can log on via desktop, the mobile apps, or wait for the experiment to conclude.

This is separate from the API issue. This will actually BLOCK you from even viewing reddit on your phone without using the official app.

Archive.org link in case the post is removed.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230611224026/https://old.reddit.com/r/help/comments/135tly1/helpdid_reddit_just_destroy_mobile_browser_access/jim40zg/

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

It's one thing to test a new idea or a UX tweak or similar on a small portion of users - but just turning off a key way to access your service is so just so weird to me. How many of Reddit's decisions at this point are some version of, "hey, how angry do they get? What can we get away with?"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

People need to understand that this is about tracking your eyeballs. Reddit viewed on a webpage does not provide the metadata they want. What metadata does the app provide? Things you wouldn't think about wanting as a human, but the aggregate is very valuable.

Stuff like how long did you watch that video Ad? Where did you click on screen and at what time? What content were you viewing and what course of action did you take to get there? Web viewing only shows the landing page you arrived on reddit from and the exit page that took you away from reddit. Performing these actions in the app provides metadata cookie crumbs like a trail of roach shit to every single thing you've done on reddit in micro activities.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I'm not sure. I've worked at companies using amplitude and hotjar that can record all click event and sessions on web

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Users can block those with extensions so the data isn't as reliable

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 years ago

That's probably a big part. Web browsers can do ad blocking. Within the official Reddit app that's way more difficult.