Your ‘De-Googled’ Android Is a Lie. Here’s the Truth.
The recent block on AuroraStore exposes a structural dependency that privacy enthusiasts hate to admit: even de-Googled Android ecosystems like GrapheneOS still rely on Google’s proprietary infrastructure. You didn’t escape the walled garden; you just built a shed in the backyard. Google doesn’t need to ban competitors—it just limits API access to remind everyone who owns the monopoly.