After complaints about some of its usersubs, Reddit is shutting down some of its communities, or "subreddits," that have been accused of being forums for sexist, racist, homophobic or otherwise offensive material.

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman announced the site's new harassment policy in the form of an AMA (Ask Me Anything). Users, called Redditors, will be given time to offer input before the new policies are finalized.

"Reddit is a place to have open and authentic discussions," wrote Huffman. "The reason we're careful to restrict speech is because people have more open and authentic discussions when they aren't worried about the speech police knocking down their door. When our purpose comes into conflict with a policy, we make sure our purpose wins."