Many Reddit users choose to remain anonymous on the website in order to freely discuss controversial topics or post salacious pictures.
ADVERTISEMENTReddit on Wednesday announced that it had suffered a data breach that could threaten the anonymity of a portion of the website's many users.
The company wrote in a post on its website that hackers were able to access a database that contained email addresses tied to user accounts. Reddit, the third-most visited website in the U.S., prides itself on its large, anonymous user base, which is allowed to post everything from news and cute dog GIFs to conspiracy theories and pornography.
Many Reddit users choose to remain anonymous in order to freely discuss controversial topics or post salacious pictures. A database of emails connected to Reddit usernames could be used to tie anonymous accounts to people's identities.
Reddit said the breach affected every user who created an account from 2005 to 2007, as well as any users who were subscribed to its newsletter between June 3 and June 17 of 2018.
Reddit did not reveal the exact number of accounts at risk. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.