No, United is not going back on its commitment to waive change fees for budget passengers.

According to United Airlines, change fees on tickets purchased in the economy class will not be reinstated.
This airline reassurance is given despite certain aviation observers seeing "non-changeable" economy booking options on specific United flights. 

To refresh your memory, United and other traditional U.S. carriers eliminated economy change fees during the pandemic and eventually made the practice permanent (but not for basic economy).
Thoughts that United might be breaking that policy were stoked by the news this week.

But according to the Chicago-based carrier, there are no plans for such modifications.

In a statement released on Friday, a United representative said, "United was the first U.S. airline to permanently abolish change fees—and we stay firm on that pledge to our passengers. 

Booking choices the airline provides for flights to Tokyo appear to be the source of the uncertainty.

An unidentified "quirk" in the market precludes United from being able to provide its regular basic economy rates and accompanying fare guidelines on these flights as it tests new lower-cost ticket alternatives to Japan, an airline official revealed.

United will allow travelers flying on this tariff type as a fictitious replacement for basic economy on flights to Japan to choose a seat and bring a full-sized carry-on bag.

There will be no ticket changes permitted on this rate in exchange for cheaper prices, but it will maintain another basic economy trademark as part of its "non-changeable economy" fares.

Once more, it appears that Japan is the only country with these unique ticket options.
According to the airline, United has "no intentions to expand this pricing class outside of Japan" and "never brings back change fees to ordinary economy flights." 

In fact, when I looked at various United itineraries between the United States and Tokyo on Friday, I couldn't find any "non-changeable economy" rates, so it seems the airline may have — at least temporarily — deleted those choices from its booking channels.

This is at a time when demand for travel to Japan is rising as a result of that nation's recent opening to independent tourists after more than two years of strict COVID-19 entry restrictions. Other U.S. airlines have recently expanded their basic economy offerings to long-haul, international flights, though with modifications.