The terms of service for reddit are based on California law. Based on liberal Laws of California, I would venture to guess that there is some grounds for back pay. I was wondering about this with all the discussion around volunteer moderators.

Similar to Uber drivers, the test for independent contractors is pretty difficult to meet in California nowadays. So I believe there is a solid case (cough class action cough). Fuck reddit. They deserve all the backlash and a mod class action for backpay would be legendary.

Realistically, I don't think this will go anywhere. While Reddit's use of free moderators to do the bulk of the work might raise eyebrows, they've been very clear about the fact that moderation is a volunteer effort, rewarded with "status" as a moderator and greater control of the communities moderated.

However...

Going forward, Reddit moderators should absolutely collectively bargain for pay, refusing to moderate unless Reddit pays them fairly for their efforts. I think I saw somewhere that the average moderator spends around 20 hours a week moderating (could be remembering wrong) so asking for equitable pay would be a way to deprive Reddit of millions of dollars of unpaid labor. Worst that happens there for the fediverse is that they agree, though.

This will go nowhere, however if it were to try to go somewhere, Mods would need to enter legally binding agreements to abide by union rules.

That meaning, if the union votes to private your stuff, to shut down scripts, etc, you can be held liable to some extent or another.

Right now, these protests are largely people pussyfooting, jumping in, and when the water gets a little hot, screaming "oh no" and hopping out. This cannot happen if you want to effectively collectively bargain. Scabs cannot be amongst those united. There can be no question on loyalties.

It's not gonna happen, but it'd be hella interesting if it did.

I predict that going precisely nowhere. Mods are volunteers and, as such, do not have the rights of employees. The best thing they can do is simply quit.

Unfortunately I'm sure there are enough anti-union reddit fans that would be more than happy to replace all the mods looking to unionize.

I want to see Reddit in legal trouble over this catastrophe as much as the next person, but I don't think this poses any new problems for Reddit. The mods that are protesting are doing what hurts Reddit most already, and if they go too far they'll be unceremoniously removed.

20 years ago in Hallissey et al v. America Online, Inc., AOL ended up settling for $15 million for 2000 "volunteers". It's not a perfect situation match, but there is some precedent (not in the legal sense, having been a settlement).

Not a bad idea. Even in the case it doesn't have a solid legal ground (I'm not a lawyer so I don't know), I believe it's still a good way to scare off investors and show what happens when you s*hit too much on your own free labor.

Considering how they couldn't keep up the protest going because of threats of removal as moderators, I highly doubt they will achieve anything. People apparently need Reddit and they'll do whatever to have it no matter the cost.

Good luck with that lol