The Pushshift Problem: Why Your Deleted Reddit Posts Aren't Really Gone

You've deleted your embarrassing Reddit posts. Problem solved, right? Not quite. Third-party archives like Pushshift have likely captured and stored your content before you deleted it. Here's what you need to know about the Reddit archival problem and what you can realistically do about it.

What Is Pushshift?

The Archive Service

Pushshift is a social media data collection, analysis, and archiving platform that scrapes Reddit in real-time:

Captures all public posts and comments
Archives content before users can delete it
Provides searchable historical Reddit data
Makes this data available for researchers

Who Created It

Founded by Jason Baumgartner in 2015, Pushshift was initially created for academic research, allowing researchers to study Reddit behavior, trends, and communities over time.

Why It Exists

Legitimate purposes include:

Academic research on social media behavior
Tracking misinformation spread
Studying community dynamics
Analyzing platform changes over time
Preserving internet history

The Problem for Privacy

While serving valid research purposes, Pushshift also:

Preserves content users want forgotten
Makes deleted posts searchable
Operates outside Reddit's control
Has limited takedown processes

How Pushshift Works

Real-Time Scraping

Pushshift monitors Reddit constantly:

A post is made on Reddit
Within minutes, Pushshift captures it
Content is stored in Pushshift's database
Data becomes searchable via their API

This means if you delete a post hours or days later, Pushshift already has a copy.

What Gets Archived

Pushshift captures:

All public posts
All public comments
Edit history
Post metadata (timestamp, author, subreddit, score)
Comment threads and structure

Not captured:

Private messages
Modmail
Deleted content that never went public
Content deleted within seconds (sometimes)

The Time Window

Most content is archived within 15-30 minutes of posting. Very fast deletion (under 1 minute) sometimes escapes archival, but this isn't reliable.

Access Methods

Pushshift data is available through:

API for programmatic access
Web interfaces like Reveddit and Unddit
Direct database queries for researchers
Third-party tools that use Pushshift data

Other Reddit Archive Services

Similar Services

Pushshift isn't alone:

Reveddit: Shows removed/deleted Reddit content
Unddit (formerly Removeddit): Another removed content viewer
Archive.org: Occasionally captures Reddit pages
Various academic archives: University research projects

Why Multiple Archives Exist

Research demand from multiple institutions
Different data collection methodologies
Backup/redundancy for researchers
Specialized focus areas

The Compounding Problem

Multiple archives mean:

Deleting from one doesn't affect others
No centralized removal process
Each service has different policies
Complete deletion is practically impossible

The Legal Gray Area

GDPR and Right to Be Forgotten

European Users: Under GDPR, EU citizens can request data deletion. However:

Pushshift is US-based (limited GDPR reach)
Research exemptions may apply
Enforcement is challenging
Removal isn't guaranteed

Process:

Submit formal GDPR deletion request
Provide proof of EU residency
Identify specific content
Wait for response (may take months)
Follow up if necessary

Success Rate: Variable. Some users report success, others report being ignored or denied.

North American Users

United States:

No federal right to deletion
CCPA (California) provides limited rights
First Amendment protections for archives

Canada:

PIPEDA provides some privacy rights
Less comprehensive than GDPR
Enforcement is limited

Bottom Line: Non-EU users have minimal legal recourse.

The Research Exemption

Many jurisdictions exempt academic research from data deletion requirements. Pushshift's academic purpose provides legal protection in most cases.

Why Deletion From Reddit Still Matters

The Access Hierarchy

There's a significant difference between:

Tier 1: Active Reddit content (easiest to find)
Tier 2: Google-indexed Reddit content
Tier 3: Archive services like Pushshift
Tier 4: Deep web archives

Most people only check Tier 1 and 2.

The Effort Barrier

Finding archived content requires:

Knowing which archives exist
Technical knowledge to search them
Motivation to dig deep
Your Reddit username

Deleting from Reddit removes content from casual discovery, which is sufficient for most threats.

Search Engine Indexing

Google and other search engines primarily index active Reddit content:

Deleted posts eventually fall out of search results
Archives aren't typically indexed
Your username becomes less searchable

The Practical Privacy Model

Perfect privacy is impossible once something's public. Focus on:

Prevention: Don't post sensitive info
Tier 1-2 Cleanup: Delete from Reddit, remove from easy discovery
Risk Assessment: Is the archived content a realistic threat?

For most users, removing content from Reddit and Google is sufficient.

What You Can Actually Do

1. Delete from Reddit Immediately

Why: Minimizes exposure time and searchability

How:

Manual deletion for individual posts
Use Redeleter for bulk historical deletion
Act quickly after posting something concerning

Result: Content disappears from Reddit, eventually from Google, but may persist in archives

2. Request Removal from Specific Archives

Pushshift: Submit removal request through their contact form

Provide Reddit username
Identify specific content
Explain privacy concern
Be patient (slow response)

Reveddit/Unddit: These pull from Pushshift, so Pushshift removal affects them

Success Rate: Low to moderate. Worth trying for serious concerns.

3. Monitor Your Username

Tools:

Google Alerts for your Reddit username
Periodic manual searches
Check Pushshift directly for your content

Action: Identify what's archived and assess risk

4. Employ Preventive Measures

Going Forward:

Use throwaway accounts for sensitive topics
Delete problematic posts within minutes
Avoid posting identifying information
Think before posting anything you might regret

5. Username Change Strategy

Can't change Reddit username directly, but you can:

Abandon old account
Create new account with different username
Cleaner break from archived content
Lose karma and account age

Trade-off: Archives still contain old username, but new username isn't connected.

6. Content Obfuscation Before Deletion

Some users edit posts to nonsense before deleting:

Edit post to random text ("deleted")
Wait for Pushshift to capture the edit
Then delete the post

Theory: Archives the edit instead of original content

Reality: Mixed effectiveness. Some archives track edit history.

The Technical Reality of Pushshift

Database Size

Pushshift contains:

Billions of Reddit posts
Trillions of comments
Terabytes of data
Years of Reddit history

API Access

Researchers and developers can:

Query any Reddit username
Search by keyword
Filter by date, subreddit, score
Download bulk data

Example Query: "Show all posts by username X containing keyword Y"

Data Retention

Pushshift retains data indefinitely:

No automatic deletion
No expiration dates
Permanent archival by design

Update Frequency

Originally real-time, Pushshift's update frequency has varied:

Sometimes near-instant
Sometimes hourly or daily
Depends on Reddit API access and Pushshift resources

2023 API Changes Impact

Reddit's API pricing changes affected Pushshift:

Lost free API access
Had to negotiate with Reddit
Archival may have gaps
Future uncertain

Psychological Impact and Coping

The "Permanent Record" Anxiety

Knowing deleted content persists causes stress:

Feeling of lost control
Worry about future discovery
Regret about past posts

Realistic Risk Assessment

Ask yourself:

Who would actually search for this?
How bad is the content really?
Is it practically discoverable?
Does it contain identifying information?

Most archived content is never viewed again.

The 80/20 Approach

Focus on:

20%: Truly problematic content (legal issues, severe privacy breaches, career threats)
80%: Mildly embarrassing stuff that won't realistically harm you

Perfect privacy is impossible. Aim for good enough.

Moving Forward

Rather than dwelling on archived content:

Clean what you can (Reddit itself)
Be more thoughtful going forward
Build positive new content
Accept imperfect control

Alternatives to Pushshift

Academic Alternatives

Other research archives exist:

University research projects
Platform-specific studies
Specialized data collections

Common Feature: All prioritize preservation over deletion requests

Commercial Data Brokers

Some companies:

Scrape social media for commercial purposes
Sell data to marketers or background check services
Less transparent than Pushshift
Harder to identify and remove from

The Broader Archive Problem

Pushshift is the most known, but:

Many others exist
Some are unknown/private
New ones continue appearing
The internet never forgets

The Future of Reddit Archives

Reddit's Position

Reddit has a complicated relationship with Pushshift:

Values research community
Concerned about data control
2023 API changes affected access
Future relationship uncertain

Potential Changes

Possible developments:

Reddit restricting API access further
Pushshift shutting down or pivoting
New archives replacing Pushshift
Legal challenges to archival practices

User Empowerment Trends

Growing user awareness leads to:

More deletion requests
Legal challenges (especially in EU)
Platform pressure to address concerns
Tools for better privacy management

Pushshift Alternatives for Research

For researchers who need Reddit data:

Official Reddit Data API (limited but authorized)
Academic Reddit dumps (with permissions)
Direct Reddit partnerships
Licensed data access

These might replace or supplement Pushshift in the future.

Practical Action Plan

This Week

✅ Delete problematic Reddit content using Redeleter ✅ Google your Reddit username, check what's indexed ✅ Check Pushshift for your username specifically ✅ Assess realistic risk level

This Month

✅ Submit removal request to Pushshift if needed ✅ Set up Google Alerts for your username ✅ Create throwaway accounts for future sensitive posts ✅ Change Reddit privacy habits

Ongoing

✅ Monitor your digital footprint quarterly ✅ Delete quickly after posting anything concerning ✅ Build positive new content ✅ Accept limitations and move forward

Conclusion

Pushshift and similar archives mean your deleted Reddit posts aren't completely gone. This is frustrating but manageable.

Key Takeaways:

Third-party archives capture content before deletion
Complete removal is practically impossible
Deleting from Reddit still significantly reduces exposure
Most threats come from easy discovery, not deep archives
Focus on Tier 1-2 cleanup (Reddit and Google)

Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. You can't achieve perfect privacy retroactively, but you can:

Remove content from easy discovery
Reduce your searchable footprint
Be smarter going forward
Focus on realistic threats

Use Redeleter to efficiently clean your active Reddit history. While archives persist, removing content from Reddit removes it from 95% of casual discovery. For most privacy concerns, that's sufficient.

Take control of what you can control, accept what you can't, and move forward with better privacy practices.