How to get around Reddit blocking VPN providers

You used to be able to access Reddit via a VPN without any problem, but things are changing on the homepage of the internet and that’s no longer the case. So why is Reddit blocking VPN providers?

Who’s affected?

Everyone. Literially everyone. Users in this thread are saying different providers such as Mullvad and Nord are blocked. My own VPN which I host and run is also caught up in this block. What ever their blocking mechanism is, it’s effective.

Why the block all of a sudden?

It’s no surprised Reddit have a lot of data. Not only do they have conversations categorised by various threads, but they also know what users are searching for and can group users and themes easily. This data is insanely valuable, and since the explosions of ChatGPT and Large Language Models (LLMs), this data is highly sought after.

Previously they had a free API that developers could use. Apps like Apollo were free to use it, and they became big players. But these changes to the rules meant that they’d start to have to pay for access (even though they were creating content!) and as such Apollo was forced to close.

Similarly, in more recent times, we’ve come to hear how Google and Reddit have stuck up a $60 million a year (source) deal so that Google can access and use their data for their AI. It’s big money, and again, no one is surprised.

So how can VPN users get around the Reddit block?

It’s fairly straight forward – just log in. The block page says the following:

To continue, log in to your Reddit account or use your developer token

Reddit.com

If you have an account then great. Make sure your account is in good standing and isn’t banned. You’ll be able to continue using the website without any problem.

But this post seems to suggest ~98% of users are lurkers. So what if you just want to browse Reddit without signing up?

What about lurkers?

For lurkers, you can create what’s commonly called a “throwaway” account, where by you create a new account just for lurking and for nothing else. Sure, it might inflate their overall user numbers, but as the screenshot shows, you can still log in to use the website using a vpn without problem.

For that, you might want to use a temp mail service such as Inboxes App which lets you create long lasting disposable emails. Long lasting temp emails are great as they let you receive emails well beond the usual 10 minute period that most online services offer. This is particularily useful if you find that you’ll need to log in or reset an account. By having the email, you can continue to use it and it’ll never get re-assigned. Perfect to get around reddit blocking vpn providers and to get set up with a throwaway account.