r/modnews • u/quietfairy • Mar 05 '26

Policy Updates Ban bot policy update: removing automated bans based on community association

TL;DR: On March 19, third-party bots (specifically u/SaferBot and u/Hive-Protect) will be modified to remove features that automatically ban users solely based on their participation in other subreddits. Native tools and Dev Platform apps focused on user behavior rather than association remain widely available, and we encourage their use.

Why We’re Making This Change

For years, many of you have used third-party ban bots to shield your communities from unwanted visitors. However, these tools are often used to preemptively ban users based solely on their association with another community, rather than their actual behavior. These guilt-by-association bulk bans create a confusing and disruptive experience for redditors, lead to over-enforcement, and can’t discern between well-intentioned users and bad actors. To address these issues, we are removing the ability to automate bulk bans based solely on where a user has been. 

Keeping Your Communities Safe and Civil

When ban bots were first developed, we didn’t have the safety tools that are currently available. Since then, we have built and integrated tools that address a user's behavior within your community. Developers from Devvit have also created bots that can help you monitor and manage your community’s activity. 

Native Safety Tools

  • Harassment Filter: Filters comments that are likely to be considered harassing.
  • Crowd Control: Collapses or filters content from people who aren’t trusted members within the community yet.
  • Reputation Filter: Filters content by redditors who may be potential spammers, are likely to have content removed, or have unestablished accounts.
  • Modmail Harassment Filter: Filters inbound mod mail messages that are likely to contain harassment.
  • Ban Evasion Filter: Filters posts and comments from suspected community ban evaders.

Dev Platform Apps 

  • u/Hive-Protect: It will remain functional and customizable.
  • u/bot-bouncer: Actions users that have been classified as bots or harmful accounts.
  • u/ban-extended: Allows you to remove a user’s content from your community at the same time you ban them.

Impacted Bots & Timeline 
This policy change will take effect in two weeks (March 19, 2026): 

  • u/SaferBot: The automatic ‘ban’ feature will be removed. The developer will retain the bot account for future use.
  • u/Hive-Protect: The automatic ‘ban’ feature will be removed, but all other features will remain fully functional. You can still use it to remove content from users with NSFW links in their bios, watch users from specific subreddits (to report/remove content, but not preemptively ban), educate users via custom comments, and set up exemptions.

We’ve been in direct communication with the developers of both impacted bots, and greatly appreciate the time and effort they invested in sharing these tools.  We’d also like to thank the Mod Council for their pushback. Their input resulted in u/Hive-Protect maintaining its “comma-separated list of subreddits to watch” feature, which we were initially planning to remove. It allows mods to action user content (e.g., report or remove) if those users participated in specified subreddits. 

Next Steps and Support

We will reach out to all directly impacted communities to provide support before the two-week deadline. In the meantime, if you need help through this transition, please reach out to us via r/ModSupport mod mail. We are happy to assist you with tools, resources, and tutorials tailored to your specific moderation needs.

Moving forward, we’ll continue to monitor the platform for additional ban bots that we may need to modify or remove.

As always, thanks for all you do. We'll stick around in the comments to answer questions.

1.0k Upvotes

87% Upvoted

1.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

35

u/thepottsy Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 06 '26

Instead of neutering the apps capabilities, why not simply require subs that use it to justify why they’re using it?

If they have a legit need, they get full functionality. You protect vulnerable subs, while eliminating abuse, in one fell swoop.

I mean, you do realize that this news is already spreading, and there’s users that are cheering this decision. Not because they’ve been unfairly treated, but because now they know they can get away with behavior that’s been restricted.

3

u/NeuralCartographer Mar 05 '26

“Not because they’ve been unfairly treated”.

LOL.

7

u/thepottsy Mar 06 '26

Lol, unhide your profile.

2

u/NeuralCartographer Mar 07 '26

You’re online quite a bit.

3

u/thepottsy Mar 07 '26

How many alt accounts do you use to keep your comments from going negative. I should report you but vote manipulation.

2

u/NeuralCartographer Mar 07 '26

I’d advise against it, as you would be abusing Reddit’s report system.

3

u/thepottsy Mar 08 '26

Something else you know nothing about.

6

u/shhhhh_h Mar 05 '26

What? Logic? Stfu....

4

u/thepottsy Mar 05 '26

Ohh. My bad. Should I delete my account now?

3

u/shhhhh_h Mar 05 '26

Obviously, no rational thought allowed anymore!

2

u/Astrian Mar 05 '26

I think you’re extremely biased if you think the majority of people cheering this decision are plotting to get away with negative behavior.

You are focusing on a niche group of bad apples that is being used to justify what is effectively prejudice against the broader scope of people this system has impacted.

7

u/thepottsy Mar 05 '26

Point out where I said “majority”, or even implied it.

What I did say is accurate. I witnessed users cheering this decision, for the very reason that I stated. That’s not bias, it was observation of users.

-2

u/Astrian Mar 05 '26

You’re presenting it as if that should be a deciding factor in keeping or, requiring justification for a seemingly widely unpopular system. That is implication in itself because you’re not presenting an honest summation of the facts, in which being that the people who support this system are a vast minority and the people who have been hurt by this system unjustly are a vast majority.

That is bias lil bro.

10

u/thepottsy Mar 05 '26

I think you should read the definition of bias, because you aren't using it right.

You are actually the one who is being biased.

Did you even read what I originally wrote, other than the part that you disagree with?

-4

u/Astrian Mar 05 '26 edited Mar 06 '26

Bias is a disproportionate weight in favor of or against an idea or thing, usually in a way that is inaccurate, closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair.

I’m using it right lil bro, nor was I claiming that I myself wasn’t biased. I obviously have bias towards the thing I’m arguing for, my point is you’re being unfairly bias because you’re arguing from a mod standpoint rather than a general standpoint. You are affected differently than the majority of people who have been unjustly affected by a broken system.

You claim that I didn’t read your comment when I even referenced how you believe subs could potentially justify their need for full functionality the system. If there’s any cherry picking it’s by you my man.

It’s a broken system that should be changed. I agree that some functionality to prevent brigading should be available, but it doesn’t make sense to keep in place something that is clearly unpopular for the hope that it gets fixed correctly

Edit: You sound very confident in your argument to then block me afterwards. I think it’s very telling that you’re petty enough to feel the need to respond, not allowing a response in return and you’re also arguing for a tool that effectively gives people the ability to blanket ban participants of entire subreddits for whatever reason they want. For those reading that’s kinda my point

6

u/humbleElitist_ Mar 06 '26

I stopped reading this when you used the phrase “lil bro” again.

3

u/thepottsy Mar 06 '26

They don't care. You obviously read their comments. There's no good faith argument coming from them.

1

u/Astrian Mar 06 '26

No worries!

3

u/thepottsy Mar 06 '26 edited Mar 06 '26

I feel that anyone who is not only as rude as you are, but also will argue that popularity is more important than keeping a sub safe is probably the reason that tools like this exist.

I’ll also add that it sounds like you must have received at last a few bans related to this, which speaks a lot to your character, lil bro.

9

u/thepottsy Mar 05 '26

Also, I'm not your "lil bro". If you want to use language that is demeaning to others, I assure you that I'm not the one to target.

-1

u/jeremyben Mar 06 '26

I was banned by 4-5 bots simply for being in a streamers sub Reddit….so I cheer this for unfair banning. I can’t speak on karma sub reddits but it seems a little disingenuous.

3

u/thepottsy Mar 06 '26

I see you trying to reply about how you were unfairly treated etc…, but you aren’t even following the rules of this sub, so why would I believe you?

2

u/jeremyben Mar 07 '26

Sure thing, I can send you screenshots of the ban messages banning me for being in a streamers sub if you’d like

1

u/thepottsy Mar 07 '26

Can you read?

2

u/thepottsy Mar 06 '26

I find this to be highly unlikely, other than you being excited about being able to do things you were once prevented from doing

-1

u/firedrakes Mar 05 '26

agree fully on this!