Reddit removed 19% more content over copyright complaints in the first half of 2026

Reddit removed 258,855 posts, comments and other items in response to copyright takedown notices between January and June 2026, 19% more than in the previous six months. The figures come from the company's latest transparency report. Rightsholders sent slightly fewer notices, 66,221 or 4% fewer, but each one listed more content: 465,803 items in total, up 9%. Reddit took down 55% of them.

More removals, fewer bans

At the same time, Reddit punished repeat infringers less often. It banned 1,266 user accounts for repeated copyright violations, 21% fewer than in the second half of 2025. The drop for communities was much steeper: 118 subreddits were banned, against 563 six months earlier and 709 in the first half of 2025. Reddit does not explain the change, TorrentFreak notes. In the first half of 2022 alone the company banned 3,859 accounts and 1,543 subreddits.

Users push back more often

Reddit rejected 20,143 notices, 30% of the total, and left 109,706 items online. A notice can be invalid for several reasons, for example when the post makes fair use of a work for commentary, criticism or parody. Among the examples in the report, a religious organisation tried to remove two posts that quoted an internal announcement and criticised it, and Reddit refused because that is fair use. Someone in Australia asked Reddit to remove a photo of their business card reading "Gentleman of Leisure", which had allegedly been handed to their partner in a park. Reddit refused that too: the card had no personal data and nothing creative to protect.

Users also challenged removals more often. Reddit received 688 counter-notices, 60% more than in the previous period. 221 of them were valid, and 599 pieces of content were restored. In the second half of 2025 only 34 of 430 counter-notices were valid.

The next report will be the first to cover a full six months after the US Supreme Court cleared the internet provider Cox of liability for not disconnecting repeat infringers. Mexico is moving the other way: in November its Senate approved a reform that pushes providers to cut off repeat pirates without a court order.

If your post was removed by mistake

• Check whether the notice is wrong: your own content, a short quote with commentary, criticism or parody are common reasons to object.
• A DMCA counter-notice must include your name, address and phone number, and that information is forwarded to whoever filed the complaint.
• Under US law, the content comes back in 10 to 14 business days unless the rightsholder sues you in that time.