Reddit CEO Steve Huffman pulled no punches at Microsoft in the interview. The Verge. He called out Microsoft and other AI search engines like Anthropic and Perplexity for not paying for data they pull from Reddit, some of which has already been blocked from Huffman’s website.
They have deals with companies like Reddit Google and OpenAI to receive compensation for the use of their writings and information. Huffman says Microsoft hasn’t even come to the table to discuss its use of Reddit content in AI searches.
“Without these agreements, we have no say or knowledge of how our data is displayed and what it is used for, which has now put us in the position of blocking people who don’t want to agree with us. We would like our data to be used or not used,” Huffman said The Verge’s deputy editor Alex Heath.
Huffman says that if Microsoft and other AI-powered search sites continue to use Reddit’s data without proper compensation, they should be blocked. He doesn’t want to do that because “it’s a real pain to prevent these companies.”
Reddit started hacking search engines delete information from various forms and communities. The website promised to prevent unauthorized data breaches by updating its Robots Exclusion Protocol (robots.txt) in June, and has already blocked Bing from accessing data from Reddit. Microsoft’s head of search Jordi Ribas at X.
A source confirmed to Engadget earlier this monthof Will Shanklin said Microsoft’s refusal to work with Reddit’s terms of service led to Bing being blocked. A Reddit spokesperson also said: “Anyone who accesses Reddit content must abide by our policies, including those in place to protect redditors. We’re selective about who we work with and rely on broad access to Reddit content.”
