Is Reddit safe? How to protect yourself and stay private

Reddit, often dubbed “the front page of the internet,” is a social network with more than 1 billion Redditors (AKA Reddit users). It hosts over 100,000 curated communities, or “subreddits,” covering just about anything you could imagine, from funny cat pictures to breaking news to personal finance.

Generally, Reddit is considered a trustworthy platform, but like any social media site, it comes with risks. Since Reddit is largely curated and moderated by users, harmful content — such as malicious links and scams — can sometimes slip through.

How safe is Reddit?

Reddit is generally safe if users don’t willingly share their private information or visit inappropriate or unsafe subreddits. Reddit takes the safety and privacy of its users very seriously, with teams dedicated to preventing fraud, harmful content, and cybercrime.

Both Reddit’s app and website are generally quite secure, using advanced technology like Google Web Risk to help protect against phishing. And the platform also maintains a strong social media privacy policy, ranking among the least intrusive social media platforms with fewer security vulnerabilities than many other platforms.

But bear in mind that Reddit is a public platform where anything you post can be viewed by anyone else. While Reddit’s content policy prohibits hate speech, harassment, and spam, it’s important to protect your personal information by limiting what you share.

Is Reddit safe for kids?

No, in our opinion, Reddit is not safe for kids. Designed for adults, the platform allows anonymous interactions, making age verification very difficult. As a result, children can be easily exposed to inappropriate content or potential manipulation. While the minimum age to join is 13, Reddit lacks parental controls and child-focused content moderation, leaving many of its threads unsuitable for young users.

Reddit’s security practices

Reddit helps keep users safe through a combination of automated moderation, user-driven enforcement, and cybersecurity measures.

Here are some of the tools used to boost Reddit security.

• Google Web Risk: This security integration helps Reddit stay free from malicious links. When users post or click external links, Reddit checks them against Google’s constantly updated database of unsafe websites. Check out more here.
• AI-powered content moderation: Reddit uses AI-powered detection tools to scan posts and comments for hate speech, spam, and other threats. Learn more about Reddit’s AI harassment filter here.
• Two-factor authentication (2FA): Users can use two-factor authentication when logging in, which helps prevent unauthorized access to your account.
• Strong encryption: Reddit encrypts data transferred between its users and its servers. This stops hackers from gaining access to your personal info if they intercept it.
• Bot and spam detection: Reddit tries to control the bots on its platform to stop non-human agents from spamming.
• User-driven content moderation: Subreddits are moderated by leaders (called “mods,” or moderators). They keep submissions focused on the appropriate subject matter, and they can use a variety of settings and filters to help stop bad actors from spamming and doing harm.
• User reporting: Any user can report inappropriate content or harassment to the mods or Reddit administrators. Learn more about Reddit’s content policy here.
• Content warnings: Content that may be inappropriate for some users is labeled NSFW (Not Safe For Work, often meaning pornographic or violent). Users can opt out of seeing this content in the app’s settings.

The dangers of using Reddit

While Reddit offers a space for discussion, entertainment, and community, it’s not without risks. Users may encounter scams, misinformation, harassment, or privacy issues. Understanding these potential dangers is key to staying safe while engaging on the platform.

Here are the dangers to watch out for on Reddit:

• Misinformation: Just because you read it on Reddit doesn’t make it true. False or misleading info is everywhere on Reddit, especially in biased or poorly moderated subreddits.
• Hidden cybercriminals: Fraudsters can slip through the cracks. These cybercriminals often share malicious links and use phishing tactics to scam other users.
• Mature content: NSFW content is allowed on Reddit, and it’s easily accessible if not turned off in the app settings.
• Exposing private information: Some users share their personal info on Reddit, such as their photo, address, and financial info, without realizing the risks. Anyone can access this info and use it for identity theft.
• Dark-web adjacent communities: Some subreddits cover topics like drug use and hacking. These can be gateways to the dark web, where illegal content and threats thrive.
• Anonymous users: Reddit users are anonymous, so you never know who you’re interacting with. This is generally perceived as a privacy benefit, but it also gives cover to scammers and other crooks.

Most of the dangers of using Reddit come from human users and not from vulnerabilities of the platform. You should be safe on Reddit if you practice basic cybersecurity habits.

Is Reddit safe from viruses?

Reddit uses a range of antivirus tools to help keep its platform free from malware. It has entire IT and security teams dedicated to monitoring the platform for cybersecurity threats like viruses, phishing attacks, data breaches, and malicious bots.

But no system is foolproof; some bad actors may bypass Reddit’s security and post malicious links containing malware or viruses.

The greater risk is hackers persuading you to leave Reddit and interact on a less secure platform, where they can freely share malicious links or attempt scams. It’s crucial to be skeptical of strangers and anonymous users, especially if they make big promises or pressure you to move conversations elsewhere.

Is Reddit safe from hackers?

No platform is completely immune to hackers, and Reddit has experienced security breaches in the past. However, its strong security infrastructure and protocols have largely protected user data. When a particular breach occurred, a Reddit employee self-reported falling victim to a phishing scam, highlighting the company’s commitment to transparency and cybersecurity awareness.

Reddit promptly informed users of the breach and took immediate steps to mitigate the issue. While the platform maintains a strong security track record, individual users can still be targeted by certain types of hackers. But practicing good cybersecurity habits — such as using strong passwords and enabling 2FA — helps protect your account and the personal data it holds.

Does Reddit collect your data?

Reddit does collect certain types of user data in order to personalize Reddit experiences and deliver targeted ads.

Reddit collects the following user data:

• Account info: Username, email, profile info
• Device details: Location, IP address, cookies (device details are stored for 100 days)
• Activity: Post and comment history, upvotes/downvotes, search history, etc.
• Transactions: Payment details if subscribed to Reddit Premium
• Ad interactions: Tracks clicks to ads, referral links, and affiliate links

Reddit’s Privacy Policy states that it only uses user data to “make Reddit a better place” and not to mine user data for profit, and the platform is known to collect and monetize less data than other social media sites.

Reddit also strongly supports user anonymity, allowing individuals to participate without revealing their identities, unless voluntarily shared. This makes Reddit an attractive platform for those who want to engage in discussions while keeping their personal info off the internet.

How to stay safe on Reddit

You can stay safer on Reddit by following a few simple cyber hygiene habits. These practices will help safeguard your personal data and keep you away from threatening spaces and users on Reddit:

• Don’t put public information on your profile: Try to stay as anonymous as possible on Reddit. Don’t use your real name as your username, and don’t include personally identifying info in your profile.
• Don’t give away your personal info: Think carefully before posting or commenting. Avoid sharing any information that could give hackers clues about your personal details, such as family information, income, or location.
• Use a strong password and enable 2FA: A strong password and a second layer of authentication will help keep hackers from accessing your account.
• Adjust your privacy settings: In your account settings, disable “Content visibility” and “Show active communities” to prevent your account from appearing in searches and hide your post and comment history.
• Avoid suspicious links: Avoid clicking links in Reddit posts and comments unless they lead to other Reddit posts or comments. Malicious links may redirect you to less secure platforms, putting you at risk.
• Be cautious of direct messages: If someone you don’t know sends you a private message, they may be trying to scam you. Reddit makes it easy to protect against cyberstalking by blocking users and reporting suspicious or threatening messages.
• Avoid third-party Reddit apps and extensions: Third-party apps and extensions can enhance your Reddit experience, but these tools are not subject to Reddit’s security or privacy policy. They may collect additional data or put your security at risk.
• Get antivirus protection: Use a cybersecurity suite like Norton 360 Deluxe to help keep you safer from scams, viruses, malicious links, and more.

Stay safe across your online communities

Reddit is one of the safest social media platforms, but with more than a billion users, Reddit can still expose you to risks like scams, malicious links, and unsafe subreddits.

To safeguard your privacy and security on Reddit and beyond, protect yourself with comprehensive security software like Norton 360 Deluxe. This powerful suite of tools, including AI-powered scam detection, can block hackers in real time, helping keep your personal data safe and shield your devices from malware.

FAQs

Is Reddit encrypted?

Reddit hosts all of its pages over SSL encryption, ensuring that communication between users and the platform is secure. However, Reddit does not offer end-to-end encryption — while your data is protected during transmission, it can still be accessed by Reddit’s servers for moderation and other purposes.

Is Reddit anonymous?

Yes, Reddit allows users to remain anonymous if they choose. Users can select a username and interact anonymously with other users. However, Reddit doesn’t prevent users from giving away their information, so the level of anonymity is up to each user.

Is Reddit browsing tracked?

Yes, Reddit tracks all browsing activity on the platform, including visited subreddits, search history, upvotes/downvotes, saved posts, and more. Reddit does this to deliver targeted content and ads, but doesn’t provide private data to 3rd parties.

How safe is the Reddit app?

The Reddit app is generally considered to be safe and secure. It’s protected by the same protocols and standards as the Reddit website. However, users must still be cautious against scammers, inappropriate content, and misinformation.