Reddit defied US and German attempts to unmask users

Reddit disclosed user information in 69% of cases involving legal requests in the first half of 2026, but pushed back against Germany's attempt to identify an activist and challenged US demands for information about critics of its immigration enforcement policies.

In its latest transparency report, the social media giant said it received 1,306 standard legal requests for user account information in the first half of the year, up 7% from the second half of 2025. The company disclosed data from 1,327 accounts in response to 906 of those requests.

Reddit did not explain why it withheld data in the remaining 31% of cases. Some requests may not have met legal requirements or may have been too broad or unclear. However, the company provided details of several cases.

In one example, Reddit refused an informal request from a German prosecutor to identify a political activist, insisting that the authorities follow a formal legal procedure involving judicial oversight.

The prosecutor was seeking to identify the person behind an account belonging to an activist who organised a women's strike across more than 100 cities in Germany. Despite reportedly threatening legal action against the company, the prosecutor's office failed to obtain the user's data after Reddit reviewed the request.

Meanwhile, the US, which accounted for 59% of all requests, also faced pushback when seeking information about its critics. Reddit said it challenged four federal grand jury subpoenas seeking information about users who had posted content related to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The company argued that these users were engaged in activity protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and other rights.

Similarly, another request by Minnesota law enforcement was also rejected. Authorities sought information about an account that detailed a friend's experience with a local officer allegedly threatening people recording ICE activity. Meanwhile, another account openly criticized law enforcement.

"These pushbacks resulted in law enforcement either subsequently withdrawing their request or not pursuing disclosure," Reddit said.

Additionally, the US Securities and Exchange Commission failed in its attempts to prevent Reddit from informing affected users about a government request.

However, Reddit also received 34 fraudulent legal requests from entities posing as legitimate government agencies. These included demands to remove content or disclose information about users.

"We rejected and subsequently reported these bogus requests to the appropriate authorities," the company said.