The folks at Elsevier turned a blind eye for as long as they could because it was profitable. It's such a common story that no one even feigns to be surprised.

Being an extractive business seeking to maintain a chokehold on scientists and their institutions is the least of Elsevier's problems.

More problematic for Elsevier is that the current system of "peer review" may turn out be a failed experiment in the history of science:

https://www.experimental-history.com/p/the-rise-and-fall-of-...

What could be an improvement to or over the peer review system?

For a thoughtful answer to your question, see:

https://www.experimental-history.com/p/the-dance-of-the-nake...

> A tenured professor hinted she might try to get me fired. A person with a PhD accused me of “cynical metacognitive polywaffle,” which a good name for a postmodern noise band. I got some weird and vaguely threatening emails, including one that had a screenshot of my personal website with my improv experience highlighted, proof that I am literally a clown. Which is, I guess, true.

(People said nice things too.)