Based on your comments, it sounds like maybe English isn’t your first language (no shade; your English is miles better than my any-other-language). But that, coupled with a Plex announcement that could’ve been written more clearly, it almost most certainly was a misunderstanding.

To be clear, when Plex removed their fully-free model, the only thing required was at least one paid subscription in the chain. Your lifetime paid server qualified, and no one else would’ve needed to pay. They haven’t reverted to this, this was how it was when they removed the fully-free model. I agree, Plex does carry some responsibility in making sure it was crystal clear. I wonder if they would’ve refunded your users that paid unnecessarily if you’d asked?

That Plex has continued to enshittify is without question. I just don’t think their paid model is the most egregious example of it.