Reddit has a reputation of being like the Wild West, there are very few rules, and most people can post pretty much anything – even things that are frowned upon on other social media websites.
It’s not rare to find an inappropriate subreddit — gore, niche fetishes, and a myriad of content that you might find unsavory or even downright offensive.
After all, Reddit likes to say that free speech is one of its founding values and will adhere to it regardless of how squeamish some people might get.
Reddit can be like the ocean to some degree; the deeper you go, the weirder things get with inappropriate content.
That being said, just because users find specific content offensive doesn’t mean that the post or entire subreddit is should be reported, quarantined, and eventually taken down from the website. Not all reported content breaks Reddit’s rules.
While Reddit moderation has tightened over the years, they still have a wide range of tolerance for questionable content posted by Reddit users.
Some subreddits that used to be huge on Reddit include r/beatingwomen, r/darknetmarkets, r/gunsforsale, and many others that are just as dark, distasteful, and hateful as these subreddits sound. As I said, it’s the Wild West.
Thankfully, Reddit has added some ground rules, which you can now find in Reddit’s Content Policy.
- Remember that you are interacting with human beings. Reddit does not tolerate harassment, bullying, or threats of violence. Hate directed towards any basis of identity will be banned.
- Follow the rules set by the moderators, and do not interfere in subreddits that you do not like.
- Respect the privacy of users. Do not leak or threaten to leak sensitive or intimate information of other users without their consent. Doxxing is not allowed.
- Do not post sexual or sexually suggestive content involving minors.
- Do not impersonate another person.
- Label the content of your post accordingly, use NSFW or Spoiler tags for the appropriate type of content.
- No illegal activity.
- Try not to break the Reddit site.
Reporting subreddits that offend you does not mean Reddit’s staff will take them down automatically. However, if you do find a subreddit that violates any one of these rules, there is an option to report inappropriate subreddits.
Note that reporting a singular post will simply send the report to the subreddit’s moderators – people who might dismiss your report since they support the activity in the community.
Here are the steps on how to report a particular subreddit.
How to report a subreddit on the Reddit website
1— Open the Reddit website on your internet browser and log into your Reddit account
2— Go to the Reddit Report Page
3— Choose what kind of report you are going to make. The two choices are general, and choosing the type of report will help you narrow down your report.
4— Depending on the type of report you are going to make, the choices will ask you to give the name of the subreddit, user, comment, or private message you are trying to report. Try to be as specific as possible and provide multiple examples of violations.
5— The burden of proof falls on you. Make sure you take screenshots to get a subreddit completely removed
6— Once done, hit submit. This step will send your report to a Reddit moderator. This may lead to the subreddit getting temporarily suspended.
How to report a subreddit without a Reddit account
1— Go to Reddit’s Help/Request Form
2— Click on the drop-down menu and choose the type of report feature you are going to make
3— Depending on the report type, you must provide specific details regarding the content you are reporting.
4— Fill out the form completely, and always remember to give examples of abuse done by the subreddit. Again, the burden of proof
5— Hit submit and wait for the Reddit admins’ response in the e-mail you provided.
How to report a subreddit using your mobile phone
1— There is no direct way for users to report subreddits on the application itself. While on the app, you can report individual posts from the same subreddit so that it might get admin attention.
2— Another way is to open the app’s settings on the side menu and scroll down to the button that says ‘Report an Issue’.
3— This will take you to a site similar to the Help/Request Form on the desktop.
4— Fill up the form and hit submit.
Reddit is a social media platform populated and moderated by users. By keeping the content policy in mind and reporting posts and subreddits, Reddit doesn’t have to be as lawless a place as it is stereotyped to be.
Sure, distasteful discussions are happening, some downright offensive, but in most cases, Reddit stands by its principle of free speech. Recently, however, Reddit has begun to crack down on hate speech by banning certain words and phrases from the website.
Aside from the downvote based feature, the site’s staff has started using the dreaded ban hammer regularly.
Should this trend continue, Reddit might become a safer website to explore. Sadly, this may also be the start of its downfall, as the lack of moderation made it stand out among its contemporaries in the first place.
Work with SOAR
If you’re looking to create a subreddit for your brand, consider Soar’s Subreddit Development service. We provide a one-stop shop Reddit marketing package, building your brand authority while eliciting discourse across Reddit.
Submit the get a proposal form to get in touch with us! Learn more about us from the case studies below.