Comment by murphyslab

> If they don't want private subs, then convert them to public and turn that feature off.

I can understand the sentiment, however users of Reddit employ private subreddits for a variety of reasons. Top of the list is in order to facilitate safe discussions, secure from prying eyes. For Reddit Inc it is a benefit, since it encourages moderator groups and communities to remain within the platform. e.g.

> r/ArmyofScience

> A private community for the comment moderators of /r/science to organize and discussion moderation of the subreddit.

If such private communities were forced open, it would require moderator groups, or those other private communities, to join the exodus to other platforms.

There are also some more personal collections on the site, without a doubt. Switching those to public would constitute a huge violation the trust which users have placed in Reddit and only further erode the company's image within communities that make their home on the site as well as with the public at large.

Lastly, there are over 3 million subreddits in existence [0], so even changing this manually would be a sizeable task.

[0] https://www.businessdit.com/how-many-subreddits-are-there/