Reddit has a long history of banning extremist communities, but let’s be real—why do leftist extremists always seem to end up on Lemmy? My theory: Reddit isn’t banning them out of principle but because they hurt the company financially.
Think about it—Reddit is a massive corporation that relies on advertisers and investors to keep the money flowing. Brands don’t want their ads next to radical content, whether it’s far-right or far-left. But here’s the catch: while Reddit aggressively bans far-right communities, it took years before they started cracking down on far-left extremist spaces. Why? Because Reddit’s user base leans left, and banning too many would risk alienating their core audience. But eventually, even they became a liability.
So what does Reddit do? They wait until a convenient moment—media pressure, advertiser concerns, or a major controversy—and then they purge them. But instead of keeping them on the platform in a more "controlled" way, they just push them out. And where do they go? Lemmy.
Lemmy ends up being the dumping ground for the banned leftists, giving Reddit plausible deniability. “See? We don’t just ban the right-wingers! We’re fair and neutral!” But in reality, it’s all about the money. If these communities didn’t scare away advertisers, Reddit wouldn’t care.
So, is Reddit’s moderation truly about keeping a balanced platform, or is it just another calculated business move? Let me know what you think.
