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Google's AI Mode doesn't drive traffic "for anybody," Reddit CEO Huffman warns the entire web.

The DecoderIndependent reporting·
Corroborated event · 2 outlets

Reddit said it is shifting to a logged-in experience as search traffic declines while AI changes how people find information online; CEO Steve Huffman said Reddit lost over one million Google search referrals per week in October.

AI brief

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said Reddit lost over one million Google search referrals per week in October and blamed Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode for sending no traffic to external sites. Reddit's stock dropped more than 25 percent despite strong earnings.

Why it matters: It highlights a dispute over whether AI-generated search summaries cut off the referral traffic that sites like Reddit depend on.

Written by AI from The Decoder's published text.

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More coverage of this story (1)

Reddit shifts to logged-in experience as search traffic declines

As search traffic dries up, Reddit announces it’s shifting to a logged-in experience
TechCrunch AI · 29 Oct 2026, 20:08

Primary source

“Reddit lost over one million Google search referrals per week in October, CEO Steve Huffman said. The stock dropped more than 25 percent despite strong earnings. Huffman blames Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode for driving zero traffic to external sites.”
The Decoder, 30 Oct 2026, 17:15.

Reporting from a publisher outside the organisation being covered.

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