Graphic design platform Canva recently suspended the account of an Indian user for allegedly abusing its subscription services. The user's social media post about the incident received widespread attention and ridicule online, especially for the tone of his complaint.
The incident unfolded when the man took to LinkedIn to express his frustration at being locked out of his Canva account. Tagging the support team on stage, he described the experience as “extremely infuriating”, citing a lack of “clear communication channels or available support options”.
“This is unacceptable,” the user stated in his post.
He asked Canva to treat his issue as a “high priority,” saying, “I want to make this very clear, there are no issues I'm looking for a resolution on your end. A clear email, if you want my attention, that's it. Fair enough.”
In a direct plea, he asked, “Please, send me a short and quick reply instead of an echoing response that will only add to the struggle.”
In response to the man's LinkedIn post, Canva's support team addressed the issue directly in the comments section, accusing him of violating the platform's terms of use by “fraudulent Canva for educational subscription abuse.”
“Consequently, we have terminated your subscription and suspended your account effective December 17, 2024,” the team said.
Canva for Education, a free visual communication tool for teachers and students, was at the center of controversy over the suspension of the Indian individual's account.
The man's now-deleted LinkedIn post was eventually shared on Reddit, where users criticized his actions.
One Redditor titled the discussion thread, “Angry freeloader gets owned by Canva in comments.”
Another commenter noted, “I feel like he wrote his post just out of thesis and righteous indignation.”
Another user on Reddit pointed out, “He's using a free account pretending to be an educator when he's actually in business. Teachers and students get it for free, businesses have to pay.”