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All of the danger and controversy about messaging platforms/companies being required to install master keys (colloquially called β€œbackdoors”) into their encryption algorithms by western governments so these governments can spy on citizens en masseβ€”all of that goes away if the phones we carry were general-purpose computers (like our desktop computers). The mathematician-cryptographers solved the problem of how to communicate privately. And the free software movement wrote the code and provides the software freely. With general-purpose computers, governments can’t pressure an Apple or a Microsoft to remove a software title from your computerβ€”cause it’s your computer. And there’s no such thing as a company like Signal having to threaten an oppressive government that they’re going to pull out of their market/territory. With general-purpose computers, peers just run the software they want to run, and they communicate peer-to-peer. So why do we tolerate closed, controlled devices?
Bitcoiners, Nostrochers, and open sourcers in general are largely focused solely on software. There's little, if anything, in the way of collective hardware development. If there were some well-established funding and collaboration structure, I would produce some simple solutions myself in various areas, but unfortunately there isn't. It's immensely easier and more financially viable to develop it yourself and sell the project to a centralized company.
Can you control your car or tv operating system?! Just don't buy it and stop blaming the companies. Some people aint as tech savi as you are but just need things to work for them. That is why i love the markets they sort themselves out. If you need an open source project then buy that and if you need a closed one like apple then buy one. Simple.