Reddit draws the line; proposes stricter content policy

After suffering from a series of "missteps," Reddit and its newly appointed CEO Steve Huffman are dead serious in changing its content rules by banning discussions involving illegal materials, sexual content featuring children, confidential information, private information from individuals, and more.

Huffman is the co-founder of Reddit and is back on his CEO position this month. He laid out the planned policy changes using its "Ask Me Anything" platform last Friday to name the proposed changes in content policy.

Reddit resigned CEO Ellen Pao banned non-consensual pornography just earlier this year. Reddit prohibited the posting of nude and sexual images without the subject's consent. That change became effective on March 10. This is considered a victory for activists who advocates against revenge porn.   

Huffman aims to curb harassment and help contain the massive and sometime unruly audiences of the popular online bulletin board. Huffman is proud of Reddit's theme of having open and authentic discussions that have the spirit of openness and with little or less administration from the company. However, that theme has been abused and led to an increase in harassment and mobbing. Some of those harassments where aimed at Pao.

A stricter rules can easily anger some of the site's most passionate users. Huffman said they didn't create Reddit as a place where free speech is lambasted. They visualized the site as a place where "open and honest discussion can happen." He said that the community should decide together what their values should be.

This move to enforce guidelines came after users and moderators lashed out on Pao for firing popular liaison employee Victoria Taylor. Those who were against Pao made a petition letter demanding for her resignation. Pao, who became known for her sexual discrimination lawsuit against Silicon Valley executives, resigned from Reddit in early July.