Reddit accounts with suspicious bot-like behavior will soon need to prove they’re human

Reddit is taking new steps to identify bots on the platform, a process that may require some users to confirm they are human. in Post on WednesdayReddit CEO Steve Huffman wrote that the company will introduce a classification system for accounts registered as bots, asking users with “robotic” or “suspicious” behavior to verify they are human using methods such as scanning their fingerprints or submitting their ID.

With this update, developers can automatically register accounts on Reddit, which will then receive an “(APP)” tag. However, Reddit also indicates that it will look for unnamed accounts with suspicious behavior. “If something indicates that an account is not human, including automation (hello, web proxies), we might ask them to confirm there is a person behind it,” Hoffman writes, adding that such cases “will be rare and will not apply to most users.”

Reddit will ask users behind suspected bot accounts to verify they are human, and is exploring several verification methods to do so without actually identifying the person. This includes asking users to complete a passkey check, such as scanning their fingerprint on a smartphone, or entering a PIN. It is also considering the use of third-party biometric services, e.g Universal ID Card powered by Sam Altmanwhich uses an orb to scan an eyeball to verify humanity.

Hoffman also talks about third-party identity verification services, which he says are “the least secure, least private, and least preferred method of verification.” He adds that the UK, Australia and some US states are already required to support this type of verification. Suspected bot accounts that cannot verify their humanity “may be restricted,” according to Hoffman.

Along with this update, Huffman says Reddit will make reporting suspected bots “easier and more flexible” — though the platform won’t be too difficult for all accounts that use AI to write. “We will monitor its use and see what happens when we crack down on bot accounts,” Hoffman says. “Our current focus is ensuring that there is a real, live human being behind the accounts you see.”