I agree they could fix this if they wanted to. They have prioritized making sure the whales make money by leasing out their RCs instead of making sure the people at the bottom can use it. So you are right, they just don't CARE.
And I do think they have committed an unforced error on this. I mean the platform has "lost users" net year to date. Now they are going to cut off the spigot to new ones coming in. They are absolutely oblivious to reality to think that a brand new person will sign up AND pay and then have major restrictions on what they can "voice".
I'm sorry for things like your project. You have done your best to grow a middle class and they have just shown that they don't care about the "next generation". It makes it a challenge to be motivated, that's the way I feel at least.