You know that's a false dichotomy. I can distrust Google's Play Services and firmware while also distrusting Apple's entire OS for exactly the same reasons. "Any of us" is referring to the hacker who esteems caution over brand loyalty. Your trust is excessive, and your evidence is perfunctory.

If we're in agreement that the frogs are boiling, you need to stop making veiled threats towards a monopoly and take action if you want to save yourself. There is no point in moralizing Apple's decisions when the abuse of their top-down control has already led to real-life censorship. The point of my whole combative comment chain is to snap you out of the ludicrous fantasy that your personal politics will triumph over the economy or sitting administration. You have already lost, your ownership of an iPhone is the loudest approval of Apple's behavior you can possibly voice. Victimize yourself all you want, you're the one asking your telecom to ship you the Apple phone.

Get this into your head: Tim Cook is not aligned with you - you are aligned with him. He isn't going to read your hand-wringing "as a long time Apple user..." comment and reconsider his life goals. Why would he? You aren't a priority to him, he is the CEO of a monopoly. All he has to worry about, to ensure his continued success, is currying government favor and selling new products. No need to listen to you in a market that doesn't compete. His RSUs are worth exponentially more when he skips your "valuable feedback" to fabricate more consolation prizes for the president. It's simple economics.