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The move offers relief to developers of accessibility apps. It is a significant development for developers concerned about the financial burden of expensive fees and the users who rely on these apps to browse Reddit.

If the apps are noncommercial and address accessibility needs, they will be exempt from the charges associated with accessing Reddit’s data.

Tim Rathschmidt, a spokesperson for Reddit, explains, “We’ve connected with select developers of non-commercial apps that address accessibility needs and offered them exemptions from our large-scale pricing terms.”

The original pricing sparked backlash

Christian Selig, the developer of Apollo, estimated that the updated pricing would amount to a staggering $20 million annually.

The r/Blind subreddit’s moderators recently voiced their strong opposition to the pricing changes, emphasizing the potential harm to screen reader apps like RedditForBlind and Luna For Reddit.

In an extensive message, the moderators expressed their concerns, stating, “This doesn’t only impact your ability to access Reddit in a fluid, customizable, and efficient way; many of us on the mod team are also blind, and we depend on those third-party apps to make sure that this community remains a safe, fun, and productive place.”

A move toward collective action

They further noted that the official Reddit apps and the new Reddit interface failed to provide the necessary levels of accessibility required to manage the community effectively.

Despite the moderators’ efforts, their concerns initially appeared to fall on deaf ears, as Reddit remained unmoved. However, Reddit has now made accommodations in response to the community’s outcry.

The r/Blind subreddit plans to join numerous other subreddits in a temporary shutdown from June 12th to June 14th to protest against the API pricing changes.

Also read: Reddit wants AI companies to pay for API