Of course they did. Companies are looking to cut costs to appease shareholders, and this is an effective method for pushing people to leave rather than layoffs.
I bought a fairly cheap one off of Amazon last year to see if I would actually use it before buying some of the more recommended brands and models. I find there are times where it helps to stand. Usually during those online meetings where I tend to get distracted and fidget more.
Virginia still has all of their highway signs to let you know that it's enforced by aircraft. A report came out in 2018 that stated they were no longer using that method of enforcement primarily due to the cost of the program.
I don't think Clear would have the same number of customers if they charged that much. Everyone would continue to stand in line and complain about how bad the TSA is at its job.
I started using Zoho mail about a year ago in a very slow effort to migrate away from google services. I'm paying $75/yr for their 10GB plan, but they offer other options as well.