[rekoil]

I know this is a joke, but to just entertain it for a second, if they truly must have telemetry, then why not just have the device submit it anyway?

Local API for control, then submit telemetry via the cloud-version of the API they use for the app.

The obvious answer why not is: it enables people like me to just block the telemetry uploads.

But they can't have it both ways then, they can't make inefficient cloud-based control mechanisms, and then complain when people (ab)use them, because the truth is that that will not stop no matter how many cease and desists they send.