Reddit takes action against groups spreading Covid misinformation

After days of controversy over its decision not to crack down on misinformation about Covid-19, Reddit is somewhat backtracking, taking action against dozens of its groups known as "subreddits."

The social media site on Wednesday banned one prominent subreddit called r/NoNewNormal, which described itself as hosting a "[skeptical] discussion of the 'new normal' that has manifested as an outcome of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic" and has been flagged by several prominent subreddits as a significant source of Covid-19 and vaccine misinformation. According to a post by Reddit's security team, however, r/NoNewNormal was banned not specifically for sharing misinformation but for breaking the platform's rules against "brigading," a practice that refers to "targeted interference" or harassment of other communities.