Reddit experiences backlash amid $150 million investment from China’s Great Firewall architect

Reddit has confirmed raising $300 million in a Series D round, bringing the website’s value to $3 billion post-money, TechCrunch writes. The announcement has sparked criticism from some of its users due to one peculiar segment—$150 million from the investment came from Tencent, one of the firms behind China’s so-called great firewall of censorship.

BBC reported that some of the site’s 330 million users have expressed worry that the pairing could possibly impact one Reddit’s core values—free speech. The website includes subreddits which cover a seemingly endless list of topics, including a large segment dedicated to cryptocurrencies. According to the BBC, most analysts agree that the possibility of Tencent influencing the site’s content as a result of the investment is highly unlikely.

Reddit has reached $550 million in total funding after the latest investment.