Reddit to Verify Users, Block Human-like AI Bots
Last week, Reddit users were shaken by a controversial experiment that revealed how vulnerable the platform could be to AI deception. A research team had quietly unleashed over 1,700 AI-generated comments on the “Change My View” subreddit. These bots mimicked real users, posing as abuse survivors or taking on divisive personas like anti-Black Lives Matter supporters. Although the goal was to study AI persuasiveness, the backlash was swift.
Reddit immediately condemned the experiment, calling it unethical and filing a complaint with the university involved. More importantly, the company recognized a growing threat: human-like bots infiltrating Reddit’s community could undermine trust and damage the platform’s core identity. Since Reddit now sells its content to OpenAI for training data, maintaining authenticity is not just a value it’s a business necessity.
A Move Toward Identity Verification But Not Names
In response, Reddit announced plans to collaborate with third-party services to verify users’ humanity. CEO Steve Huffman emphasized that while the platform will need to confirm whether users are real people and in some cases, adults it won’t require real names. This signals a dramatic shift for Reddit, which has long prided itself on allowing anonymity and requiring minimal personal data.
This change also comes amid broader regulatory pressure. Several U.S. states and the U.K. have already passed laws mandating age checks to protect minors online. As a result, other social platforms have begun implementing ID verification systems. Reddit appears to be following suit, though it has not yet specified what kind of identification might be necessary or under what conditions it would be required.
Currently, companies like Persona, Stripe Identity, and Footprint handle ID verification using government-issued documents. Meanwhile, emerging tools like Sam Altman’s “proof of human” eye-scanning tech may also play a role. Still, privacy advocates warn that requiring IDs even through third parties introduces risks, especially for users discussing sensitive topics anonymously.
Balancing Privacy with Protection
Despite growing concerns, Reddit insists it will fiercely protect user data. Huffman stated that the platform would only request “essential information and nothing else.” He also promised Reddit would resist unreasonable data demands from authorities.
Nonetheless, many remain cautious. In recent years, cases like Meta sharing private messages with police have shown how digital footprints can become legal liabilities. On Reddit, users often share personal stories they would never tell if their identities were known. As Huffman noted, “Anonymity is essential to Reddit,” and the company appears determined to preserve that ethos while adapting to a more AI-saturated world.
