I’m guessing it’s not a big deal to replace it with a third party text messaging open source app; I’m not sure about the Dialer, though.
It would be an interesting solution, to port a few mobile Linux apps to Android (some of them are already there) - I’m a bit worried about potential maintenance burden for platform support; but it could benefit KDE/GNOME apps by getting feedback from a bigger bunch of users.
Looks like the ecosystem still needs another year or two, but it’s going forward steadily.
They chose an action that is not harsh enough for them to be “fired” as mods, yet is strong enough to be visible.
It reminds me (to a certain extent) of absurd protests against communist authorities, which happened in my country back in Cold War times, ie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orange_Alternative . The aim is to make the authorities look like idiots, using force to make them stop. You have to be creative, when you’re fighting with someone who has total control over the platform, for me their move makes sense.
My personal workaround is a smartphone book case with a spot for the debit card.