This is a good and long coming change.

Reminder that the red depiction is also "wrong", and not the equal area projection. The equal area projection map looks like this:

(Can't upload pictures on blahaj piefed, HTTP 400 error)

In some senses, the red area is more wrong than the Mercator, since it is not a projection at all, but a false projection. The distances between the countries are misleading, especially when superimposed on the Mercator, which is also misleading in terms of sizes, but not shape.

All projections are compromises, but false projections are completely untethered from a mathematical relationship to the actual globe.

It is OK and not misleading if it were made clear that the red area is NOT a map, but a way of depicting the size only. Since it is shown in a geographic context with no disclaimer, i don't think this is universally apparent.

Here is a link to a 3D globe: https://tembrica.com/en/earth-globe

Here is a good comparator of Mercator size vs equal size countries, not superimposed on a map. https://www.runcell.dev/tool/true-size-map/equal-earth-projection