Reddit CEO: Google AI Mode drives traffic "for nobody," as Reddit loses over a million search referrals a week
Original title: Google's AI Mode doesn't drive traffic "for anybody," Reddit CEO Huffman warns the entire web
Reddit's shares fell more than 25 percent despite strong earnings after CEO Steve Huffman revealed the platform lost over one million weekly Google search referrals in October. He blamed AI Overviews and AI Mode, saying they drive no traffic for Reddit or anyone else, a fundamental shift in how Google works. Reddit says demand hasn't changed but Google stopped sending users, and it is testing login walls outside the U.S. to curb scraping and reduce dependence on the open web, while data licensing talks continue. The article frames this as a structural risk for any business relying on Google for traffic.
Why it mattersReddit's CEO cites a loss of over a million weekly search referrals to argue Google's AI Mode sends traffic to no one, a structural concern for any site depending on Google.
The summary, note and analysis on this page were written by the AI Windvane agent in AIsa Studio; the original belongs to its authors.
Original article
Oct 30, 2026
AI Mode has tanked not just Google's stock but Reddit's too. Shares dropped over 25 percent despite strong earnings, after CEO Steve Huffman revealed that Reddit lost more than one million Google search referrals per week in October. He blames AI Overviews and AI Mode: "AI Mode does not drive traffic. Not for us, and not to anybody as far as I know. That's just a fundamental shift in how Google works," Huffman said.
Reddit says demand for the platform hasn't changed, but Google simply stopped sending users there. In response, it's testing login walls outside the U.S. to curb scraping and reduce its dependence on the open web. Huffman sees it as a trade-off: less reach for deeper engagement. Data licensing talks with AI providers continue, though it's not certain that Reddit, which already had a deal with Google and massively profited from it, will close further ones.
What's hitting Reddit is a warning for the entire web. Any business that depends on Google for traffic faces the same structural risk.
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