Reddit: Reddit’s DMCA takedowns have grown 15,000% in five years

The number of DMCA takedown notices received by Reddit has exploded over the past few years, with content removals surging from a paltry 4,352 in 2017 to well over 665,000 in 2021. At the same time, banned users and subreddits have become more common on the platform.

Millions of people from all over the world submit posts, comments, and other content to Reddit. The social news and discussion platform has been around for more than 17 years, and its popularity has only grown over time.

In addition to the rise in visitor numbers, the number of DMCA takedown requests has also surged to previously unimaginable levels.

15,000% growth

Reddit's recent ban (and unban) of the /r/PiratedGames subreddit prompted a look at how piracy has evolved over time, and the results are pretty surprising. As the chart below shows, in just five years, banned content has skyrocketed from 4,352 to 665,898. That's a growth of over 15,000%.

In percentage terms, the biggest growth occurred early on, but there is no sign that this trend will reverse any time soon. The differences are even more stark when going back further.

66 content removals in 2014

For example, when Reddit released its first transparency report in 2014, the platform had only removed 66 pieces of content in the entire year. The site isn’t exactly a newcomer, having been founded in 2005. That said, as Reddit’s audience has grown, so has the amount of user-submitted content.

A look at broader trends provides new perspective. For example, the percentage of takedown requests that are denied has remained remarkably stable in recent years, hovering around 27%. In 2016, that number was much higher, with more than 80% of takedown requests being denied.

Banned Users and Subforums

Three years ago, Reddit's transparency reports began detailing the number of users and subreddits banned under its repeat infringer policy. There's a clear upward trend here, too.

The chart above shows that user and subreddit bans have clearly increased over the past year relative to the number of removal requests. It will be very interesting to see if this trend continues.

All in all, it’s clear that Reddit has a lot of work to do when it comes to complying with DMCA takedown notices. With billions of pieces of user-generated content, this isn’t a major surprise. That said, it’s always good to keep an eye on these developments with the help of Reddit’s transparency report.

From cnBeta.COM