Reddit said Thursday it was changing its practices to prohibit attacks and harassment against users on its site, two months after its interim Chief Executive Ellen Pao lost her own gender discrimination lawsuit in Silicon Valley.
"Instead of promoting free expression of ideas, we are seeing our open policies stifling free expression," the company said. "People avoid participating for fear of their personal and family safety."
The San Francisco-based company has long been known for its open policies on freedom of expression but said in a blog post that it is "unhappy with harassing behavior" on the popular online forum.
"Instead of promoting free expression of ideas, we are seeing our open policies stifling free expression," the company said. "People avoid participating for fear of their personal and family safety."
This is not the first move Reddit has made to curtail user practices. In March, the company banned revenge porn from its site.
Last month, the company said it conducted a survey of more than 15,000 users that showed "negative responses to comments have made people uncomfortable contributing or even recommending Reddit to others."
The changes have occurred under the leadership of Pao, who lost a high-profile gender discrimination lawsuit in March against venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
Pao's lawyers said in court that she was fired from the VC firm because she spoke up about her ill treatment.
Kleiner Perkins contended that Pao had been an underperforming employee and was a disgruntled former worker.
In its blog post, Reddit defined harassment as "systematic and/or continued actions to torment or demean someone" in a way that would make them feel unsafe on the site or fear for their safety or that of others around them.
Users can report offensive messages or email the company directly.
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