Reddit Introduces Feature to Hide User Posts and Comments for Enhanced Privacy

Reddit has rolled out a new feature aimed at enhancing user privacy by allowing individuals to conceal their posts and comments from their profiles. This update enables users to hide all public contributions or selectively obscure activities within specific communities, which can include those containing adult content.

The introduction of this feature appears to be a strategic move to encourage greater user engagement, potentially leading to increased contributions and comments. This could, in turn, result in higher advertising revenue for the platform, which has been publicly traded since March 2024. Following its IPO, Reddit's stock price surged by 48%, and it has since more than tripled from its initial offering price of $34 per share.

As a publicly listed company, Reddit is focused on maximizing profits. CEO Steven Huffman announced earlier this year that certain subreddits would soon implement paid access, with plans for this change set to roll out in 2025.

With the new profile customization options, users can now choose to hide either all public posts and comments or restrict visibility to individual community activities. However, it is important to note that while users can conceal their contributions, the default setting remains unchanged, displaying all activities unless altered by the user.

The feature also includes a toggle for Not Safe For Work (NSFW) content, enabling users to filter out groups and posts that may be sensitive or inappropriate for certain audiences. This allows individuals to maintain a level of discretion regarding their participation in discussions related to personal topics such as health or relationships.

Reddit is keen to increase user-generated content, as more posts and comments lead to more advertising opportunities. Previously, many users opted to create multiple accounts to maintain anonymity while engaging in sensitive discussions. By allowing users to hide their profile activities, the platform hopes to reduce the need for these secondary accounts, thereby consolidating user data linked to a single profile, which is more effective for targeted advertising.

Despite the ability to hide certain activities, it is essential to clarify that anonymity is not fully guaranteed. Contributions within individual communities will still be attributed to the user's name, and moderators will retain access to hidden posts for a period of 28 days, as part of their responsibilities to monitor discussions for compliance with community guidelines.