Reddit's bot crackdown: Suspicious accounts must prove they're human.

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has affirmed that human verification measures will be "rare and will not apply to most users," as the platform introduces new strategies to combat bots.

In a recent post, Huffman detailed Reddit's latest initiative to identify automated accounts. This includes establishing a labeling system for officially registered bots and prompting users exhibiting "automated" or "fishy behavior" to verify their humanity through methods such as fingerprint scanning or ID submission.

Under the new system, developers will be able to register automated accounts, which will subsequently be tagged with an "[APP]" label. However, Reddit also emphasizes its vigilance in identifying unlabeled accounts displaying suspicious activity. Huffman stated, "If something suggests an account isn’t human, including automation (hi, web agents), we may ask it to confirm there’s a person behind it," reiterating his earlier assurance that such instances "will be rare and will not apply to most users."

For accounts suspected of being bots, Reddit plans to request human verification while exploring various methods designed to maintain user privacy by not identifying the individual. These options include passkey checks, like smartphone fingerprint scans or PIN entries. The platform is also considering third-party biometric services, such as the Sam Altman-backed World ID, which utilizes an eyeball-scanning orb for verification.

Huffman also addressed third-party ID verification services, describing them as "the least secure, least private, and least preferred" method. He noted that certain regions, including the UK, Australia, and some US states, already mandate support for this type of verification. Accounts flagged as suspected bots that fail to verify their humanness "may be restricted," according to Huffman.

These developments build on Reddit's prior efforts, which included testing account verification for brands and individual users last year. Huffman had previously hinted at a bot verification system in a February letter to shareholders and discussed the potential use of Face ID for user verification during a recent interview on TBPN.

Alongside these updates, Huffman indicated that Reddit aims to make reporting suspected bots "easier and more flexible." While the platform will not aggressively target all accounts using AI for content creation, he stated, "We’ll monitor its usage and see what happens as we crack down even more on automated accounts." Huffman concluded by emphasizing, "Our current focus is to ensure there is a real, live human behind the accounts you’re seeing."