We should have the ability to run any code we want on hardware we own

This makes the point that the real battle we should be fighting is not for control of Android/iOS, but the ability to run other operating systems on phones. That would be great, but as the author acknowledges, building those alternatives is basically impossible. Even assuming that building a solid alternative is feasible, though, I don't think their point stands. Generally I'm not keen on legislatively forcing a developer to alter their software, but let's be real: Google and Apple have more power than most nations. I'm all for mandating that they change their code to be less user-hostile, for the same reason I prefer democracy to autocracy. Any party with power enough to impact millions of lives needs to be accountable to those it affects. I don't see the point of distinguishing between government and private corporation when that corporation is on the same scale of power and influence.

> Google and Apple have more power than most nations.

Yep. They control our information - how we make it, what we are allowed to find, and what we can say. And they are large enough to not face real competition. So let’s treat them like the state owned corporations they are and regulate heavily. Smaller companies can be left unregulated. But not companies worth 500 billion or more.

> So let’s treat them like the state owned corporations

If they were state owned, we could vote for how the profits get used and we would have larger budgets for healthcare and education.

The US federal government alone (not including state and other local governments) spends north of $1 trillion dollars per year on healthcare.

https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/americas-finance-guide/feder...

Another $1.3 trillion on wealth transfers from workers to non workers (including disability). And another $608B on wealth transfers from people with higher income to people with lower or no incomes.

Alphabet and Apple, combined, earned $193B in 2024, from the entire world.

https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/GOOG/alphabet/net-...

https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/AAPL/apple/net-inc...

How does your suggestion make any difference, other than destroying 2 of the very few organizations driving demand for US assets, and hence help support the US dollar's purchasing power?