In a recent interview, Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband of tennis star Serena Williams, shared a captivating anecdote about his role in shaping the policies of the online platform. What he recalled was not merely a tale of corporate governance or business decisions, but rather an uncomfortable truth about the darker side of the internet that many tech companies had been reluctant to confront.
Ohanian boldly stated that one of his first actions at Reddit was to ban revenge porn — a move he considers one of his proudest achievements. While many have lauded this decision as a victory for online safety and respect, it also raises troubling questions about the balance of power between tech companies and free speech. Is this a win for justice or an overreach of corporate control in the realm of personal expression?
The Need for Action
Revenge porn, the distribution of explicit images or videos of someone without their consent, has been a longstanding issue that’s plagued the internet. Victims, often women, suffer devastating emotional and reputational damage from their private content being weaponized for harassment or extortion. Ohanian’s point is clear: Reddit, as one of the largest platforms in the world, has a moral obligation to stop its users from being subjected to this form of abuse.
“I want Reddit to be a place where people can come together and discuss ideas, but not at the cost of someone else’s dignity or safety,” Ohanian remarked in the interview. He noted that many platforms, including the early days of Reddit, were slow to respond to the growing concerns over revenge porn, often due to a hesitancy to moderate content that could infringe on free speech.
It is undeniable that revenge porn is a grave violation of privacy, and removing such content is, in theory, a step toward making the internet a safer, more ethical space. Yet the decision to regulate this form of content raises difficult questions about the role of tech companies in policing online interactions.
The Dangers of Censorship
While Ohanian’s intention to remove harmful content from Reddit is admirable, the broader issue at hand is censorship. By banning revenge porn, Reddit set a powerful precedent for what can and cannot be shared on its platform — a precedent that some argue has blurred the lines between responsible regulation and overzealous censorship.
Advocates of free speech have long warned that once tech companies begin moderating content, it is only a matter of time before they start censoring legitimate expression under the guise of protecting users. While revenge porn is undeniably harmful, what happens when this kind of moderation expands to other types of speech or content deemed “inappropriate”? Who decides what is harmful, and what safeguards are in place to ensure that the moderating process isn’t weaponized to silence dissenting voices?
As Ohanian himself acknowledged, these decisions are difficult and not without consequences. “You can’t please everyone,” he said. “The question is, do you act in a way that aligns with your moral compass, even if it alienates some people?”
The Fine Line Between Justice and Corporate Control
Ohanian’s decision to act swiftly against revenge porn is undoubtedly an example of a tech executive taking moral responsibility. However, it’s also an example of how much power these tech platforms have over shaping online discourse. Once a platform begins dictating what can or cannot be shared, the door opens for future content restrictions that may go far beyond the protection of individual dignity. This isn’t a hypothetical concern — it’s happening right now on many social media platforms, where the removal of content is often based on vague or inconsistent terms.
Additionally, Reddit’s decision to ban revenge porn brings into question whether this policy was truly motivated by a desire for justice, or if it was driven by a desire to avoid reputational damage. The growing influence of social movements and consumer activism has placed immense pressure on tech companies to improve their handling of harmful content. Some critics argue that companies like Reddit are simply responding to public outcry, rather than taking proactive stances on issues like privacy and digital safety.
Moreover, while Reddit’s decision to remove revenge porn has been heralded as a win for victims, it could inadvertently lead to a chilling effect. Victims may feel that their cases will be overlooked or ignored if they don’t meet the platform’s specific standards of harm. This is particularly concerning when we consider the global nature of Reddit and other platforms, where cultural perceptions of privacy and consent vary widely.
The Bigger Picture
What Ohanian’s comments reveal is a larger cultural shift in the tech world. The role of platforms like Reddit in shaping online conduct is growing, and with it, the power to determine what constitutes acceptable behavior. The challenge moving forward will be for tech companies to ensure that their policies are both ethical and transparent, protecting the rights of all users while preserving a free and open space for discussion.
Banning revenge porn is undoubtedly a positive step in the right direction. However, as Ohanian himself recognized, the internet is a vast and complex space. The question isn’t just about removing harmful content — it’s about how we define harmful content in the first place, and whether tech companies should be trusted to make those decisions on our behalf.
As we navigate this new digital landscape, one thing remains clear: tech giants like Reddit must tread carefully, ensuring that their actions are genuinely motivated by justice rather than the desire for favorable public relations. After all, when tech companies hold the power to shape the online world, they also hold the responsibility to do so ethically — without stifling free expression or favoring corporate interests over individual rights.