Miku Charges Subscription for Previously Free Features

Miku Charges Subscription for Previously Free Features:

Miku Email to Customers on September 15, 2023

Through the acquisition of Miku Inc by Innovative Health Monitoring LLC, Miku sent out an email notice to all of their users on September 15'th 2023 detailing changes to the access Miku customers have to features on their Miku device starting October 1'st 2023. According to Miku, "For customers who did not previously subscribe to Care+, many of the features you have been receiving for free will now require a monthly subscription fee. "

Changes Made:

According to the Miku email to customers, the new breakdown of feature changes is as follows:

• Updated Free features:
  • Live HD video and audio streaming (available locally only unless the customer's smartphone or tablet is operating on the same wireless network as the monitoring device.

Miku website describing new features for $9.99/Mo

• Updated Subscription Membership features At $9.99 per month:
  • Live HD video and audio (local and remote access);
  • two-way talk;
  • live breathing waveform;
  • sleep and health analytics;
  • environmental analytics;
  • various notifications and alerts;
  • sounds and lullabies;
  • three days of video storage;
  • Care+ access;
  • wellness trends.;
  • tips from medical and sleep experts; and
  • wellness tracking tools (height, weight, feeding, body temp, diaper changes)

• Offer access to higher tier memberships that include longer term video storage at the following levels:
  • Monthly Membership + 30 days of video storage ($14.99 per month);
  • Monthly Membership + 1 Year of video storage ($19.99 per month); and
  • Monthly Membership + Unlimited video storage ($29.99 per month)

Customer Response:

Many customers were displeased with the subscription service added to Miku. Leading to products being returned and customers emailing Innovative Health Monitoring to voice their opinions with the company.

Due to these subscription changes being instituted through automatic updates to the Miku mobile application, turning off automatic updates and refusing to update the Miku app would keep the features that were now locked behind a subscription.

Broader Implications:

The changes that Innovative Health Monitoring has made to the Miku care+ subscription model regarding the accessibility of its previously-offered services to customers sets a precedent for how Innovative Health Monitoring can remove or completely lock services away from customers in the future for all products and services they provide. According to the Miku Terms of service, "We reserve the right to change the Terms at any time, but if we do, we will do our best to bring it to your attention by placing a notice on the Miku website, by sending you an email, and/or by some other means." and "If you use the Services in any way after a change to the Terms are effective, you agree to the changes to the Terms."