Mentioning no names, I can think of at least one person who proposed this back in 2016 scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2016/10/10/c...
Can Highly Selective Journals Survive on APCs? - The Scholarly KitchenAre the APC levels set for high-end OA journals too low to be sustainable? Are there other ways that might help high-end OA journals pay their way?scholarlykitchen.sspnet.orgDavid Crotty"Some publishers are likely experimenting with low cost submission fees, not as a revenue source but as a way of deterring crank submissions." newsletter.journalology.com/p/the-jist-j...