Reddit is a well-known internet networking platform globally. Reddit includes a massive collection of forums and communities known as subreddits, where individuals share news, posts, and comments. The forum attracts millions of monthly active users.
However, Reddit has been controversial since 2016, following Trump’s presidential election. Steve Huffman, Reddit’s CEO, was found manipulating user data by inserting a code that automatically swapped his username with that of his critic, Trump, in response to the closure of a Hilary Clinton misleading subreddit. This scheme demonstrated the overreach of Reddit IT officials and maybe beyond.
This article thoroughly explains to all of Reddit’s monthly active users the main privacy and security concerns Reddit faces and how to permanently delete your account if necessary.
Why Reddit has become toxic?
Over the past few years, more Reddit drawbacks have been discovered, including deleting a ‘warrant canary’ in 2016, celebrity explicit photo hack, and insubordinate content moderators. Furthermore, in 2018, Reddit secretly re-enabled user tracking and data sharing with third parties.
The tracking feature in Reddit is enabled by default for personalization and advertising purposes, and users must opt-out manually. Unfortunately, if users are not notified of the default tracking, their option of opting out is limited.
It is important to understand that app developers, telecom firms, and ISPs may track, collect, and sell each click, share, or download. Luckily, a reliable VPN service, such as ExpressVPN, can prevent these third parties from storing and selling your personal data.
Deleting vs. Deactivating – What is the difference?
Reddit does not allow temporary account deactivation. As a result, deactivating your account deletes it permanently, including all your favorite links. Failing to delete your comments individually before deactivating them leaves your comments visible, but the author will be indicated as “[deleted].”
Moreover, if you change your mind afterward, neither you nor anyone else can retrieve your account using the deleted username. The platform also lacks an automated tool for downloading your user data, so you have to contact customer support to appeal for a download of your Reddit data.
What data does Reddit keep?
Below is a summary of all the information Reddit stores on you.
| Type of data collected | Examples |
|---|---|
| Account details | Your email address, Avatar, and username |
| Activity information | Saved data, votes, people you follow, reports sent, and communities you join |
| Transactional details | All information linked to purchases made on Reddit, including payment mode and billing address |
| Content details | Your posts, chats, comments, mod mail, private messages, and saved drafts |
| User information | Operating system, type of browser, search history, device, and IP address |
| Information from Reddit associates | Details from any third-party platforms or apps you have granted access to your Reddit account, such as demographic details from advertising associates |
| Details from cookies and websites | Clicks, language preference, and other details to monitor your activity for personalizing ads and recommendations |
Taking everything into account, this is a lot of information. On the plus side, Reddit claims to delete all this data from its servers every 100 days, except for the IP address you use to create your account.
However, Reddit states in its privacy policy that it may store your data, including posts and comments, after deleting your account if compelled by the law. Furthermore, any Reddit user may see, save, or share details you send to Reddit communities. As a result, it is best to restrict what you post or share on Reddit or other social networking platforms.
Initial consideration
You shouldn’t hurry to delete your account just to prevent Reddit’s invasion. Below are some factors you need to consider.
- Reddit lacks the option for temporarily disabling your account: Deleting your account means it can never be retrieved. Also, you cannot use the same username if you change your mind later. However, you may create a new Reddit account using a different username.
- Deleting your account does not erase your comments: Your comments will still be visible to Reddit users, but the platform indicates your username as “[deleted].” Therefore, Reddit users can still read personal information disclosed in your posts and comments. Luckily, they cannot link you with your deleted username.
- Remember to terminate your subscription plans if you are a Reddit Premium subscriber.
To get a copy of your Reddit data, go to the data request website, log in to your Reddit account, follow the instructions, and click “Submit.” It typically takes up to 30 days to get your data via email or private message with a download link.
Steps to remove your Reddit account
For a Reddit premium subscription plan
Deactivating your Reddit account will not terminate your subscription plan if you are a Reddit Premium user. As a result, follow the steps below first.
- If you purchased your subscription with Apple ID, visit the “Manage Subscriptions” tab on the Apple App Store, choose “Reddit Premium” from the subscription list, and cancel. You may also do this via the Account settings of your device.
- For a Google Play Store-based subscription, navigate to the “Subscriptions” section on Google Play Store, choose “Reddit Premium“ from the subscription list, and cancel it.
- For a subscription purchased via PayPal, “Sign in” to your PayPal account, go to the “Payments” tab, select “Preapproved Payments,” tap “Reddit Premium” from the subscriptions list, and cancel.
- If you bought a subscription via credit card, sign in to the Reddit website and cancel your subscription plan from the “Reddit Premium” tab under “User Settings.”
Deleting Reddit account on PC
Consider the following when deleting your Reddit account on a computer.
Deleting your comments and posts
Simply deleting your Reddit account does not remove your posts and comments. All your posted content remains visible on Reddit, and the word “[deleted]” replaces your username. Therefore, you should delete all the postings and comments individually before deactivating your account.
In this case, you will must follow the steps below for every post and comment.
- Sign in to your Reddit account.
- Next to “Overview,” tap “Posts” at the top of the page.
- Tap the three dots below your post to display the dropdown menu, including the “Delete” option.
- Tap it to delete the post. Repeat the same action for comments.
How to delete your Reddit account
- Go to your screen’s top right and find “User Settings.”
- Select “User Settings” and scroll to the bottom of the screen to locate the “Delete Account” option highlighted in red.
- Tap the “Delete Account” option. Reddit will display an optional to-answer popup asking why you want to delete your account.
- Fill in your username and password as required, then tick the check box below them to make the “Delete” button clickable. Tap it to continue.
- Another popup appears, prompting you to confirm your option. Click “Delete“ to finish the action.
- For accounts created using an Apple ID or Google account, go to the “Connected Accounts” tab and tap “Disconnect” next to the Apple ID or Google account from which you signed up.
On mobile gadgets
Follow the steps below to delete your Reddit account via your phone’s Reddit app.
- Sign in to your Reddit account.
- Click the Avatar on your screen’s top left to display your profile.
- Tap on “Settings” and then find and tap the “Delete account” option.
- Enter your credentials and optionally provide a reason for deleting your account. Check the box below to enable the “Delete account” button to continue.
- Another popup to confirm if you are sure you wish to delete your account appears. Tap on “Delete” to complete.
An error message appears if you attempt to log in using your credentials. This confirms that your account has been permanently deleted.
Presently, the account deletion option is only available to iOS users. Android users may need to sign in to their accounts via their computer to delete their profiles.
Update your Reddit privacy settings
If you do not want to delete your account, you may restrict the amount of data Reddit collects by modifying your privacy settings. This process is relatively simple and allows you to disable the collection of your sensitive information. Follow the quick steps below:
- Log in to the Reddit website using your browser.
- Tap your username on the top right corner of your screen, then select “User Settings“ from the dropdown menu.
- Tap the “Safety & Privacy“ tab.
- Scroll down to the “Privacy“ section and disable the options you do not want.
Reddit states in its privacy policy that it collects certain personal data, including linked accounts, cookies, and user location. This information may be sold to third parties, used for targeted advertising, or for its own motives. Toggling your privacy settings off is one approach to safeguarding your data while accessing Reddit.
Clear your Reddit history
Reddit has a feature that records each post you tap on, allowing you to revisit the previous post. However, anyone with access to your Reddit account can see the posts you visit in the history section. As a result, it is advisable to clear your Reddit history often.
How to clear your Reddit history on Android
You can remove your Reddit history on Android by following the steps below:
- Launch the Android Reddit app and tap on your Avatar in the top right corner.
- Select the “History” tab.
- Tap on the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select “Clear History“ to finish the process.
How to clear your Reddit history on iPhone
Follow the steps below to erase your Reddit history on your iPhone:
- Launch your iPhone’s Reddit app, then click your Avatar in the top right corner.
- Click the “Settings” tab at the bottom.
- Select the “Clear Local History” tab.
You are all set! Your history has been deleted, and your post access on Reddit has been made private.
Clear your Reddit history on PC
Removing your Reddit history is pretty easy on PCs, as well. Here’s what you should do.
- Sign in to your Reddit account.
- Click on your profile picture and select “User Settings” from the drop-down menu.
- Now click on the “Profile” tab.
- Scroll down to find the “Clear history” option, and click the “Clear history” button.
This is it! You can now return to your profile page to see your entire view history gone forever! However, your future post views will start appearing in history now. So, ensure deleting your history after every Reddit session if you’re concerned about your privacy.
Use a VPN for Reddit
Although Reddit provides you some control over what you can share, it still records a large amount of your personal data in multiple ways that are difficult to limit. In this case, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is necessary.
It conceals your online activity, changes your IP address, and other identifying aspects that may be exploited to monitor your online activities. This enhances your online safety and anonymity on all social media platforms, including Reddit. Moreover, a VPN for Reddit can aid you in unblocking geo-restricted content or circumvent bans on it.
However, a VPN will not make you completely anonymous on Reddit since the platform can still monitor your actual location as well as the activity of your account.
We highly recommend utilizing a top-notch VPN service for Reddit, such as NordVPN, since it provides premium security, privacy, and lightning-fast speeds.
Social media privacy tips
Without any doubt, Reddit is an educational and entertaining platform. Unfortunately, it may have negative effects, such as time wastage, identity theft, or online tracking due to data sharing with third parties.
So, you should enjoy what these social media platforms offer while prioritizing your data privacy. There are several you can achieve this. For example, you can use a VPN to safeguard your data and online activities. Alternatively, you can modify your privacy settings by disabling features like search engine indexing, location access, and personalized ads.
Moreover, read and research the privacy policies of the social media platforms you are signing up to. Also, you should be wary of sites that constantly share user data with third parties.
The best way to enhance your privacy is to permanently delete your social media accounts if you want to quit using them.
FAQs
Deleting your Reddit account removes it permanently, and you cannot retrieve it or sign up again with the same username. The links and posts linked with it are dissociated, and your username is substituted with “
.” However, your account does not automatically delete all your posts and comments. You have to delete them individually before deactivating your account.
Reddit erases an account instantly upon confirming the deletion. However, your posts and comments persist except for your username, which is replaced by “
.”
You may use an app blocker to prevent future access to the platform whenever you develop the urge to scroll Reddit while bored.
Deleting your Reddit account does not remove your personal data automatically because the posts and comments remain. If one of the two happens to hold any personal data, it may remain on the platform and be accessible to other users. In addition, you need to contact the platform directly to download your personal data after deletion.
In the case of Reddit, deletion is referred to as deactivation, making it similar. Furthermore, Reddit does not allow you to deactivate your account temporarily.
No one can reactivate their Reddit account after deletion. Furthermore, once assigned, any individual can never reuse usernames. As a result, always be certain that you wish to delete your account because there is no retrieving option.
