[trapped]

None of the FAANG companies are cartel or forcing any users to use their products at gun point.

Don't like their products then don't use it. Use alternative.

They built one of the best products hence most of the world is using it.

[popcorncowboy]

This has gotta be trolling, but in case not.

Your comments are demonstrably disingenuous. You can't really opt-out. Employers, friends, family, partners, colleagues, peers, etc all rely on you relying on the FAANG/MAAMA networks and network-effect one way or another whether we want to or not. These companies provide what have become public utility services that large parts of society now depends upon.

"Best products"? (this was the troll right? ;) More like "only products", with positions that were achieved in no small part through anti-competitive, anti-consumer behaviours that have run almost unchecked for the better part of two decades.

So what alternative are you talking about? Opting out? That's only an option in the same way that you can theoretically "opt out of society" and go and live in a cave for a year or two before you die of malnutrition/illness/etc.

It's a capitulation to the embedded powers-that-be to imply this theoretical qualifies as practical alternative.

[usr1106]

Not true. In many European cities you cannot rent a bike without being a customer of either Apple or being the product of Google.

Even buying public transport tickets gets hard without the app, which of course is not on F-Droid. Often you pay more on other channels.

[rejn]

Man, you are all over this defending the behemoths. Can I see your GOGL tattoo??