The Hidden Battle for Control of Your Hardware

You buy a phone, a laptop, a tablet, maybe even a “smart” TV or car. You pay good money for it. It sits in your home, in your pocket, on your desk.

But here’s the big question: do you actually control it – or does the company that made it?

Over the last decade, there’s been a quiet but massive shift. Big Tech companies are steadily taking more control over what your devices can do, what software you’re allowed to run, and what information they can collect from you. At the same time, they’re giving you fewer real choices.

Most people have no idea it’s happening.

This post is about that hidden shift – and why it matters for your privacy, your freedom, and your basic ownership of the things you’ve paid for.

From “My Computer” to “Their Platform”

Not that long ago, a personal computer really felt personal.

You could install whatever programs you liked, block whatever network connections you didn’t like, and even tinker under the hood if you felt brave. The machine was a general-purpose tool that you could bend to your will.

Today, that model is quietly disappearing.

Devices are becoming more like rental properties or walled gardens. You hand over money, but the company keeps the master key:

  • They decide what apps you can install.
  • They decide what the system can secretly talk to over the internet.
  • They decide which settings you’re allowed to change – and which ones are “for your safety” and locked away.

On the surface, everything looks shiny and friendly. Underneath, control is shifting from you to them.

There’s a huge move from Big Tech that very few are aware of: to take full control of the operating systems on all your devices.

With Apple, this really came into focus with macOS Big Sur.

Before Big Sur, if your Mac “called home” – quietly sending information back to Apple – there were ways for knowledgeable users to:

  • See which parts of the system were talking to Apple’s servers.
  • Block or filter that traffic if they chose.

With Big Sur, Apple changed how some of this worked. Certain system processes were effectively shielded from user control. In practical terms, that meant:

  • Your Mac could send data back to Apple.
  • You could no longer reliably see or block some of those connections.

And remember: macOS is proprietary. We can’t see what its code is doing. We’re asked to trust – but our ability to verify has been reduced.

At the same time, on iPhones and iPads, Apple’s App Store model has created a tight grip on what you’re allowed to run on your own device. For most people, there is no real sideloading of apps – no straightforward way to install software that isn’t blessed by Apple.

Officially, this is all “for your security.”

There is some truth in that: malware is real, scams are real. But once a company has the power to decide which apps are allowed to exist on your phone, that power can be used for a lot more than just blocking viruses. It can be used to:

  • Block privacy tools they don’t like.
  • Remove apps that compete with their own services.
  • Censor apps under pressure from governments.

Apple used to be seen by many as the “privacy-friendly” choice. Increasingly, they’re in a race with others to see who can build the most locked-down, always-connected, data-collecting operating system.

To add insult to injury, people are still paying for what is, in effect, becoming very expensive spyware.

With Microsoft, this shift has been happening in the open for a while.

Windows 10 already had serious problems with built-in tracking and unwanted data collection. Windows 11 took it even further – and with each update, it seems to get worse, not better.

When people call it “spyware,” what they mean is:

  • Windows constantly sends information back to Microsoft about how you use your device.
  • It pushes ads, “recommendations,” and promotions into places that used to just be yours – the Start menu, the lock screen, the taskbar.
  • It’s increasingly hard (or impossible) for normal users to turn all of this off.

Updates don’t just fix security bugs. They:

  • Change default settings back to what Microsoft wants.
  • Add new “features” tied to data collection or subscriptions.
  • Remove or hide options that gave users more control.

Then there’s the hardware side.

Newer versions of Windows lean heavily on things like Trusted Platform Modules (TPM) and “secure boot” features. These are sold as security improvements, and they can help protect against some attacks. But combined with other policies, they also make it harder to:

  • Install alternative operating systems.
  • Tinker with your own machine at a deeper level.
  • Use your computer in ways Microsoft doesn’t approve of.

Step by step, your PC turns from a tool you control into a service you access on Microsoft’s terms.

Android has long been marketed as the “open” alternative: more choice, more flexibility, more customisation.

There’s some truth to that – but in practice, Google still holds most of the cards.

On many Android devices:

  • Google’s Play Store is the main (or only practical) way to get apps.
  • “Play Protect” can quietly block or discourage apps that Google doesn’t like.
  • Sideloading – installing apps from outside the official store – is increasingly wrapped in scary warnings and restrictions.

Some phone makers also lock the bootloader (the part that decides what software is allowed to run when the phone starts). Unlocking it, if allowed at all, may void warranties or be deliberately confusing.

Again, the stated reason is “security.”

And again, while there’s a real need to protect users from malware, this same infrastructure can be used to:

  • Ban apps that offer strong privacy or anonymity.
  • Block tools that let people bypass censorship.
  • Shut out alternative app stores and services that don’t feed the same data machine.

“One of the major new controls being introduced is blocking you from loading uncertified / approved apps. They claim it’s for our protection – and there is a legitimate reason – but they are not giving you the choice.”

That’s the key point: they’re not giving you the choice.

This pattern doesn’t stop at computers and phones. It’s spreading to almost everything with a chip.

  • Smart TVs
    Many smart TVs quietly track what you watch, when, and how long. That data is sold to advertisers. Some interfaces show ads or “sponsored” content right in the home screen of a TV you already paid for.
  • Smart Speakers
    Devices that sit in your living room or kitchen, always listening for a wake word, and sending audio snippets or transcripts to the cloud. You don’t control the servers. You can’t truly audit what happens to that data.
  • Cars
    Modern cars are computers on wheels:
  • They log location, speed, driving habits.
  • Some lock features (like heated seats or advanced driving assists) behind monthly subscriptions.
  • In some cases, they can be remotely disabled or updated whether you like it or not.
  • Other Internet of Things (IoT) devices
    Light bulbs, cameras, doorbells, fridges – many come with:
  • Apps and cloud accounts you must use.
  • Firmware you cannot replace.
  • Connections you cannot fully turn off.

The common thread is simple: the manufacturer stays in charge, even after you’ve paid.

“It’s For Your Safety” – The Security Excuse

To be fair, there are real problems out there:

  • Malware
  • Ransomware
  • Scam apps
  • Phishing attacks

Companies are right to care about security. We should all care about it.

But “security” has become a magic word that justifies almost anything:

  • Locking down devices so only company-approved software can run.
  • Forcing all apps through their store, where they take a cut of every transaction.
  • Building in constant data collection “to improve your experience.”

The crucial distinction is this:

Security that empowers you would give you:

  • Clear information about what your device is doing.
  • Real choices about what to allow and what to block.
  • Tools that protect you without spying on you.

Security that disempowers you:

  • Hides what the system is doing.
  • Removes options instead of adding them.
  • Treats you as a problem to be controlled, not a person to be protected.

Right now, the dominant trend is the second one.

Why This Matters: More Than Just an Annoyance

It might be tempting to shrug and say, “Well, that’s just how technology is now.”

But the consequences run deep.

For everyday people:

  • Your devices become less trustworthy. You don’t know what they’re doing behind your back.
  • Your ability to protect your privacy shrinks as companies remove options and hide settings.
  • You are nudged, tracked, and monetized in ways you can’t easily see or refuse.

For activists, journalists, and vulnerable groups:

  • Their ability to install strong privacy tools, censorship-circumvention apps, or secure messaging can be cut off at the app-store level.
  • Governments can lean on a handful of companies to block or remove entire categories of apps – silently and quickly.

Over time, this shapes what kinds of speech, organizing, and dissent are practically possible.

If you can’t control the hardware in your hands, it becomes much easier for others to control you through it.

The Core Question: Who Owns Your Hardware?

In the end, it comes down to a simple but profound question:

If you can’t choose what runs on your device,
can’t control who it talks to,
and can’t stop it from sending out your data…
do you really own it?

Right now, Big Tech is betting that most people won’t notice, or won’t care enough to object.

We don’t have to accept that.

You paid for the hardware. You should be able to decide what it does, who it talks to, and how much of you it gives away. That’s not just a technical issue. It’s a question of freedom, dignity, and basic ownership in the digital age.

The battle for control of your hardware is already underway. The only real question is: which side are you on?

Desktop / Laptop OS that still put the user in control

  • Debian (Linux) – PCs, laptops (Intel/AMD, some ARM)
  • Ubuntu (Linux) – PCs, laptops (Intel/AMD, some ARM)
  • Linux Mint – PCs, laptops (Intel/AMD)
  • Fedora – PCs, laptops (Intel/AMD, some ARM)
  • openSUSE – PCs, laptops (Intel/AMD)
  • Pop!_OS – PCs, laptops (Intel/AMD)
  • Qubes OS – PCs, laptops with decent Intel/AMD hardware & virtualization
  • Tails – Any PC/laptop that can boot from USB
  • FreeBSD – PCs, laptops (best on Intel/AMD)
  • OpenBSD – PCs, laptops (Intel/AMD; simple hardware best)
  • NetBSD – Many architectures, mainly used on PCs & various boards

Mobile OS that still put the user in control

  • GrapheneOS – Google Pixel phones (supported models only)
  • CalyxOS – Mostly Google Pixel phones (supported models)
  • LineageOS – Many Android phones (varies by model)
  • /e/OS (Murena) – Selected Android phones + Murena-branded phones
  • postmarketOS – PinePhone/PinePhone Pro + some older Android phones
  • Mobian – PinePhone/PinePhone Pro
  • PureOS (mobile variant) – Librem 5 phone

Boards / “DIY” hardware

Various Linux/BSD – Pine64, ODROID, other SBCs

Raspberry Pi OS / any Linux – Raspberry Pi boards

So What Can We Do About It?

Replacing your current operating system with one that puts you in control – like Linux – is the ultimate step in getting Big Tech out of your digital life.

But for most people, switching directly to these operating systems would be extremely disruptive. It would likely cause a lot of frustration and could leave large parts of their digital life offline for an unacceptable amount of time. For anyone who isn’t very technical, it’s like jumping into the deep end of the pool when you don’t yet know how to swim.

That’s why we don’t start there.

The 10‑Steps training is about doing this in a way that is realistic and manageable. Instead of one big jump, it focuses on breaking your digital life into parts and moving each part in baby steps to more private tools, apps, and platforms.

The important thing is this: as you replace apps and services, keep the end goal in mind – an operating system that puts you in control.

For example, when I recently replaced Camtasia on my Mac desktop, part of the criteria was selecting apps that also work on Linux. This way, when I migrate to Linux as my daily work system, I’ll be able to bring my apps and data with me instead of starting again from scratch.

The strategy is that, over time, you reduce your dependence on Big Tech, and when you finally switch your OS, it’s not a shock — it’s just the next logical step in taking back control of your device and your digital life.