If you’re lucky enough to have been an SBC or Verizon internet subscriber who gets Flickr free then it’s time to dig out your wallet. Yahoo! (current owner of Flickr) has decided that one way out of it’s ailing monetary troubles is to begin charging people for Flickr who had previously been receiving it free as part of their higher-end internet service package.
Flickr: AT&T and Verizon Internet Services have reworked their broadband packages and will no longer be offering Flickr pro to subscribers after January 31, 2009.
Don’t panic! None of your photos or videos will be deleted, but if you have a free account you will be subject to a few limits. If you upgrade again, all of your photos will be waiting for you. Any of your sets that disappear will magically reappear when you renew or upgrade.
If you decide to upgrade to Flickr Pro at the regular price of $24.95, you’ll also get 2 more months at no cost.
Unfortunately I think this tactic is going to have the reverse effect on Yahoo! and we’re going to see a mass migration from Flickr as accounts begin to expire. I, myself have been worried about the state of Flickr and the fate of my photos should Yahoo! decide to pull the plug.