What Just Changed

Adobe: DOJ settlement — $150M over cancellation dark patterns. Adobe settled a Department of Justice lawsuit over hidden early-termination fees and obstructive cancellation flows: $75 million in free services to affected customers, $75 million to the DOJ. Customers charged the 50% exit fee between January 2019 and July 2025 may be eligible.

Mailchimp: Free plan cut to 250 contacts. Down from 2,000 contacts in 2021, then 500, now 250 with a 500-send monthly cap. Fourth cut since the Intuit acquisition.

Crunchyroll: Free tier killed entirely. Ad-supported free streaming shut down December 31, 2025. Every plan now requires payment. Some older titles still surface on Tubi and Pluto TV.

Duolingo: Energy meter replaces hearts on mobile. The new energy system drains even on correct answers, capping most free mobile users at a couple of lessons per day. Web version still runs the gentler hearts system.

Zoom: 40-minute limit now includes 1-on-1 calls. One-on-one calls were previously unlimited on the free plan. Now all meetings hosted by free accounts cap at 40 minutes.

Amazon Prime Video: Ads added to paid plans. Even paying Prime members now see ads unless they pay an additional ad-free upcharge — a second toll booth on a service already behind a paywall.

TurboTax: FTC rules advertising deceptive. The Federal Trade Commission found Intuit's 'free' advertising deceptive — most filers who start the 'free' flow are forced into paid tiers mid-return.

Midjourney: Free trial suspended indefinitely. The ~25-generation free trial was suspended due to abuse and demand. As of July 2026 it has never returned to the main platform.

LastPass: Encrypted vaults breached. Attackers accessed encrypted password vaults. LastPass says strong master passwords protect users; security researchers noted weaker defaults on older accounts.

Intuit / TurboTax: Left IRS Free File program. Intuit withdrew from the IRS Free File partnership that required genuine free filing for low-income taxpayers, making TurboTax's 'free' its own definition rather than the IRS's.

LastPass: Free restricted to one device type. Free users can now sync passwords on mobile OR desktop, not both — crippling the core purpose of a password manager. Drove mass migration to Bitwarden.