Reddit blocks access for VPN users: what is happening, and how to get around the block

Shortly after going public, Reddit is apparently getting serious about blocking unlogged VPN users from accessing its site via browser. Reports suggest that Reddit has begun blocking VPN access to both its current domain — https://www.reddit.com/ — as well as its “old” subdomain.

We’ve tried to access Reddit’s web version using several popular VPNs, including Nord VPN and Express VPN. While logged-out, we were not able to open the site regardless of the location of the VPN server to which we were connected.

Reddit displayed an error message, citing its network policy as the reason for the site’s inaccessibility.

It’s not explicitly clear from Reddit’s message which specific part of the platform’s policy is being violated by accessing the site without logging in. After combing through Reddit’s user agreement, we drew a blank as to what part we might have transgressed upon. However, buried within the document is a clause stating that Reddit reserves the right to “modify, suspend, or discontinue the Services (in whole or in part) at any time, with or without notice to you.” So, maybe that is it.

At the same time we had no issues accessing the site while logged-in, either with a VPN or without it.

When it comes to AdGuard VPN and Reddit, the situation is not that clear-cut. During our tests with various AdGuard VPN servers to access Reddit while logged out, we found that the site loaded without issues for the most part — in more than 70% of the cases as of the time of writing. So, here’s a partial list of some of AdGuard VPN servers that successfully work with Reddit:

• Australia
• Austria
• Argentina
• Belgium
• Germany (Frankfurt)
• Germany (Berlin)
• Hong Kong
• US, Atlanta
• US, NY
• US, Miami
• US, Chicago
• Egypt
• Israel
• India
• Ireland

Why is Reddit blocking VPN users?

Given that Reddit has not provided any official explanation or statement regarding the situation, we can only speculate about why VPN users who choose not to log in are having trouble accessing the site. If we want to wager a guess, the recent crackdown on VPN users might be related to Reddit going public last month.

Reddit’s IPO raised approximately $750 million for the company and its shareholders, and has been generally considered a resounding success. Initially, after debuting on March 21, Reddit’s shares surged more than 120% from their $34 offering price. However, they subsequently plunged by about 40% and were last trading around $45 in early April.

Analysts at Wall Street research firm Bernstein told Bloomberg that Reddit’s promises of growing user numbers, increasing ad revenue and becoming profitable at the same time will be no small feat to achieve. This may be more of a far-off dream given that other social media platforms have had a hard time turning similar promises into reality, they pointed out.

But what does all this have to do with blocking VPN users from accessing the site unless they log in?

Well, advertising revenue is a significant source of income for platforms like Reddit. The numbers speak for themselves: a whopping 98% of Reddit’s 2023 revenue of $804 million came from its advertising business. Despite all that, it has never turned a profit in nearly 20 years of existence. So now that Reddit is a public company, it has an even greater urgency to maximize revenue. When it comes to the advertising business, targeted advertising is its most profitable variety because it allows companies to tailor ads to the users most likely to be interested in their products based on their browsing behavior and personal information. In other words, if the user fits the profile of a standard customer, they’re much more likely to dig the product.

When a user is logged in, a platform can collect more data about their interests, preferences, and behavior. This enables precise targeting. In contrast, logged-out users provide limited data, making it more difficult to effectively tailor ads. So even if this is not the primary reason for why Reddit is banishing logged-out users from their website, it makes perfect sense for the company to do it in the context of increasing their ad revenue.