First, the word free is most frequently interpreted as not costing money, which in this case is completely true. Second, your comparison to a false claim by the NYT is absurd.
All you had to do was close the tab and move on. I can't imagine getting through life making this big a deal on such a minor inconvenience. Good luck out there.
Just FYI but OI has become a great resource for me and my team to maintain situational awareness on what's going on in the industry. Thanks for all you do!