I think it's tacky and a typical stunt trying to look like the next 'cool thing'.
They should stop lying that 'it's about community' to it's users. This is an online gentrification. If you don't post the kind of art that can push pageviews, then you are not a part of their plan.
But, hey - it's their site. They can do whatever they want with it.
What is
not okay:
Censoring or blocking people who have dissenting opinions. Is deviantArt doing this? True proof is an elusive thing, but I have suspicion since Jollyjack's "Super Pretentious" disappeared off DA's top charts. Maybe nothing happened, but I'm not willing to deny the the strong probability that this nice website is actually run by typical corporate / authority types who do not embrace debate.
DeviantArt has built up a great website with many useful features, and in several ways they are groundbreaking in how art is shown, stored, and organized online. I love this site, I have been here for years. But until the people in charge acknowledge and address the dissent (further than "Well, not everyone will get it right away."), deviantArt at it's core will remain as 'audacious' as a PR statement script.