Reddit restricts access to 'Old Reddit' to combat AI scraping

Reddit has announced plans to further restrict access to its legacy interface, known as 'Old Reddit,' as part of an ongoing strategy to mitigate unauthorized data scraping and automated traffic. The platform, which recently began requiring users to log in to access the classic site, intends to implement stricter authentication measures over the coming months. According to the company, these changes are necessary to protect platform integrity and prevent AI models from harvesting user-generated content without permission. By limiting access to authenticated users, Reddit aims to reduce the volume of bot activity that has increasingly burdened its infrastructure. While the move is framed as a security and performance necessity, it has sparked concerns among long-time users who prefer the minimalist, text-heavy layout of the older interface over the modern, media-rich design. Reddit continues to balance user experience with the need to control how its data is utilized by third-party AI developers.