Also, you seem to acknowledge that there are legitimate concerns/ reasons to NOT offer E2E encryption for free users. Unlike all the other services you mention - Zoom users that care about illegitimate interference in their communications would actually have a way to get E2E encryption. Unlike FB/Youtube/etc, Zoom doesn't need to offer the "free" service in order to exist - it does this as a marketing ploy to get you accustomed to their services. In that sense, withholding functionality from free accounts seems perfectly reasonable?
Yes, it is a problem, it's been a problem for a very long time. Criminals gravitate to the most convenient platform like anyone else but otherwise don't stop being criminals. It only serves to punish other people.
As for the same old same old? It hasn't been precisely in that form but criminals have used Facebook, Tor, Email, Discord, YouTube, Usenet, Skype, MySpace, and other technologies / sites to facilitate abuse. This is merely the newest iteration.