Reddit Privacy Features 2021: What's New and What's Still Missing

Reddit introduced several privacy improvements in 2021. Here's what changed, what these features actually protect, and where you still need additional tools for comprehensive privacy management.

New Privacy Features in 2021

Profile Visibility Controls

Reddit now allows you to control profile visibility:

Options Available:

Public profile (default)
Logged-in users only
Followers only

What This Protects:

Casual browsing by non-Reddit users
Google indexing of your profile page
Anonymous viewers

What This Doesn't Protect:

Your individual posts remain visible in subreddits
Comments are still accessible via threads
Search engines may still index individual posts

Bottom Line: Helpful for profile-level privacy, but doesn't hide your actual contributions.

Enhanced Follower Controls

You can now limit who can follow you:

New Settings:

Anyone can follow
Only accounts you approve
Nobody can follow

Why This Matters: Followers receive notifications of your posts. Limiting followers prevents unwanted monitoring of your activity.

Limitation: Doesn't affect who can see your public posts in subreddits.

Improved Blocking Functionality

Blocking users now does more:

Previous Blocking:

You couldn't see their posts
They could still see yours

2021 Blocking:

You can't see each other's content
They can't see your posts in their feed
They can't message you

Caveat: Blocked users can still view your content by logging out or using another account.

Chat Privacy Settings

Direct chat controls expanded:

Options:

Everyone
Accounts older than 30 days
Nobody

Added Security: Reduces spam and harassment from new accounts.

Revised Privacy Policy

Reddit clarified data collection practices:

More Transparent About:

What data is collected
How it's used for advertising
Third-party data sharing
Retention periods

Key Takeaway: Reddit is more transparent, but still collects significant data. Transparency ≠ minimal collection.

What These Features Actually Protect

✅ Surface-Level Privacy

Profile visibility from casual viewers
Follower management
Chat harassment

✅ Improved Transparency

Clearer understanding of data collection
Better control over profile accessibility

❌ Content History

No bulk content management
No easy way to audit your history
No date-based filtering
No subreddit-based cleanup

❌ Third-Party Archives

Pushshift and similar services still archive everything
Archived content persists regardless of Reddit settings

❌ Search Engine Indexing

Individual posts still appear in Google
Comments remain searchable
Profile privacy doesn't affect post indexing

Reddit's Privacy Settings: Complete Walkthrough

Accessing Privacy Settings

Click your profile icon
User Settings
Privacy & Security tab

Account Tab

Username: Cannot be changed (requires new account) Email: Changeable, not visible to others Password: Change regularly, use unique password Two-Factor Authentication: Enable for security

Privacy & Security Settings

Make my posts private: Hidden from r/all, still visible in subreddits Show up in search results: Disable to prevent profile from appearing in Reddit search Allow direct messages: Control who can DM you Follower notifications: Get notified when someone follows

Safety & Privacy Tab

Block users: List of blocked accounts Muted communities: Subreddits you've muted Content visibility: Control over sensitive content display

Data Personalization

Personalize ads: Opt out of interest-based advertising Personalize recommendations: Control algorithmic suggestions Third-party site integrations: Limit external site data sharing

Notifications

Configure what notifications you receive, reducing exposure of your activity.

What's Still Missing from Reddit's Native Tools

1. Bulk Content Management

The Problem: No way to select and delete multiple posts simultaneously.

What's Needed:

Multi-select functionality
Date range filtering
Subreddit-based selection
Keyword search in your own history

Current Solution: Third-party tools like Redeleter

2. Historical Content Search

The Problem: Reddit's profile page only loads a limited number of posts. Viewing your complete history requires endless scrolling.

What's Needed:

Comprehensive searchable archive of your posts
Advanced filtering options
Export functionality

Current Solution: Data requests or third-party tools

3. Scheduled Deletion

The Problem: No way to automatically delete posts older than a certain date.

What's Needed:

Auto-delete posts older than X months
Keep specific posts while auto-deleting others
Regular cleanup automation

Current Solution: Manual regular audits or third-party automation

4. Pre-Deletion Preview

The Problem: Hard to know what your profile looks like to others before cleaning it.

What's Needed:

"View as public" feature
Privacy score or risk assessment
Identification of potentially problematic posts

Current Solution: Logging out and viewing your profile, or using privacy analysis tools

5. Archive Protection

The Problem: Deleted content persists in third-party archives.

What's Needed:

API restrictions preventing real-time archival
Partnerships with archives for deletion
Legal frameworks for removal

Current Reality: No solution exists; prevention is key

Comparing Reddit to Other Platforms

Facebook Privacy

Better than Reddit:

Granular post-by-post privacy
Friend list controls
Comprehensive bulk deletion

Worse than Reddit:

Real name requirement
More invasive data collection
Harder to remain anonymous

Twitter Privacy

Better than Reddit:

Protected accounts option
Easier bulk deletion
Better archive export

Worse than Reddit:

More public-facing by design
Easier to doxx
Less anonymous culture

Reddit's Position

Strengths:

Pseudonymous by default
Less personal data required
Community-focused rather than individual-focused

Weaknesses:

Poor native content management
Limited post-deletion tools
Persistent third-party archives

Best Practices with 2021 Privacy Features

Maximize Built-In Protection

Enable 2FA immediately
Set profile to logged-in users only
Restrict followers to approved only
Limit chat to older accounts
Disable ad personalization
Turn off search result appearance

Combine with Content Management

Reddit's settings handle account-level privacy. For content-level privacy:

Regular history audits
Selective post deletion
Proactive privacy management

Use Redeleter for content-level control that complements Reddit's account-level settings.

Layer Your Privacy Strategy

Level 1: Reddit Settings Configure all privacy options Reddit provides

Level 2: Content Management Regular audits and deletion of problematic content

Level 3: Behavioral Changes Think before posting, use throwaways, limit personal info

Level 4: Technical Measures VPN usage, separate email, browser privacy extensions

The Role of Third-Party Privacy Tools

Why They're Necessary

Reddit's native tools handle account security and profile visibility. Third-party tools handle what Reddit doesn't:

Bulk content deletion
Historical search
Privacy auditing
Automated maintenance

Choosing Privacy Tools

Look For:

Read-only access for browsing
Write access only for deletion
Transparent data handling
No permanent data storage
Secure authentication

Redeleter's Approach:

OAuth authentication (never stores passwords)
Minimal required permissions
Process deletion immediately
Don't store your post content
Open about how it works

Looking Forward: 2021-2022 Privacy Trends

Expected Improvements

More granular privacy controls
Better moderation tools
Enhanced reporting systems
Improved transparency

Unlikely Changes

Bulk deletion features (conflicts with Reddit's content focus)
Archive prevention (technical and philosophical challenges)
Username changes (database structure limitations)

What This Means

Reddit will continue improving account-level privacy. Content-level privacy management will remain dependent on third-party tools.

Actionable Steps for 2021

This Week

Enable two-factor authentication
Review and configure all privacy settings
Set profile to logged-in users only
Limit followers and chat settings

This Month

Audit your complete post history
Delete problematic content
Set up regular review schedule
Create throwaway accounts for sensitive topics

Ongoing

Monthly privacy settings check
Quarterly content audit
Annual deep privacy review
Stay informed about Reddit changes

Conclusion

Reddit's 2021 privacy features improve account-level security and profile visibility control. However, significant gaps remain in content management and historical post deletion.

For comprehensive Reddit privacy, combine Reddit's native settings with third-party content management tools. Configure everything Reddit offers, then use tools like Redeleter for what Reddit doesn't provide.

Privacy is layered. Use all available tools to build a comprehensive strategy protecting your online presence.

Take action today—configure your privacy settings and audit your content history.

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