It is, and there is a lot of effort being expended to remediate that - there's a reason why some people use pre-2011 thinkpads. I think it would be pragmatic in new endeavors to do things right and correctly from the start, so that remediation isn't needed later.
Sorry, I know that sounds flippant, but hardware manufacturers have become exceptionally good at calibrating this "just enough tyranny to wear down the majority" thing. It's exactly this "not enough to leave my iPhone" attitude that they've figured out how to exploit.
There's a link upstream of fully OSS LoRa alternatives. Your question to me makes no sense: it's like asking if the developers of those alternative technologies use 5G-enabled phones, even though those also use proprietary technologies.
Maybe I should clarify: existing tech is what it is. We probably have to use it. But if we're building new tech, why would we waste time doing it incorrectly, when we have the chance to do it right?