[cesarb]

> Does Google refuse to veriy their firmware if they offer this feature?

If a manufacturer doesn't follow the Android CDD (https://source.android.com/docs/compatibility/cdd), Google will not allow them to bundle Google's closed source apps (which include the Google Play store). It was originally a measure to prevent fragmentation. I don't know whether this particular detail (not exposing this particular permission) is part of the CDD.

[rickdeckard]

It's not explicitly part of the CDD, but implicitly. The device must support the Android permissions model and is only allowed to extend this implementation using OWN permissions (in a different namespace than 'android'), but not allowed to deviate from it.

INTERNET is a "normal permission", automatically granted at install time if declared in the manifest. OEMs cannot change the grant behavior without breaking compatibility because:

The CDD explicitly states that the Android security model must remain intact. Any deviation would fail CTS (Compatibility Test Suite) and prevent Play certification.