I would love to see someone challenge this as an anti-trust violation. Google is using its market power (as the provider of reCAPTCHA) to actively prevent devices that don’t use Google Play Services from competing effectively.
I'm not sure the definition of anti-trust matches what you're saying. Are there any retail android devices for sale without Google Play Services? Also, notably iPhones will be able to still work despite not having Google Play Services.
Retail phones for sale without Google Play Services:
All Huawei phones, which uses Huawei AppGallery after sanctions
FairPhone 6 /e/OS
Practically all modern feature phones: Nokia phones, HMD phones, etc. As I understand it, predominantly used by elderly and kids. But it's also gaining traction among millennials and Gen Z for digital detox and defeating mobile addiction.
Linux phones (Jolla Phone, PinePhone, FuriPhone, etc) - these you probably won't find in your local retail store but this is another competing platform being built from effectively an entirely different lineage minus the kernel
They're using their position to force people to buy a certified Android phone or iPhone in order to use millions of websites Google doesn't even own. People without a phone, people with dumb phones and alternative operating systems (deGoogled Android being just one example) can be totally cut off.
It's worse than forcing the Play Services: strict Play Integrity requires your system to be signed by Google. So if you use the Play Services on GrapheneOS, you're still locked out.
They're only doing that because the EU currently doesn't want to antagonize US any more with their tech fines. Noticed how there hasn't been any as of recently?
> April 2025: Apple fined €500 million for failing to comply with "anti-steering" obligations. Meta fined €200 million under the Digital Market Act for requiring users to consent to sharing their data with the company or pay for an ad-free service.
> December 2025: X fined €120 million under the Digital Services Act for breaching transparency obligations.
(Sure, not this year, but that's pretty recent by most standards. And not sure if they're still being contested and unpaid)
Alternative explanation: they're following the Meta playbook of releasing surveillance features during a "dynamic political environment" that's keeping their opponents distracted.
