The solution is making noise. Talking to your local regulators, making them know this is an issue worth looking into.
The solution is pushing your government to do their fucking job and regulate these companies so they can’t take blatant anti-costumer measures.

I’m not saying GrapheneOS isn’t a solution, it absolutely is, what I’m saying is that it isn’t the be-all and end-all, nor is it available for everybody, and coming into the comments to say “just buy a pixel duh” is smug as shit, and also missing the forest for the trees.
The solution is stopping Google from rolling out this change so everybody can enjoy the increased privacy sideloaded, FOSS apps bring, not just Graphene users.

Hell, Graphene themselves are suffering from Google’s fuckery in relation to security patches and AOSP. (Image, Original Link)
Getting Google in a big antitrust lawsuit so they’ll stop being actively hostile to projects built on top of Android would be very beneficial to Graphene, don’t you think?

Wanna talk demoralizing? How about hearing “just buy a pixel and install GOS” on every thread on this topic completely ignoring whole countries where this isn’t exactly feasible?
And when you try to point that out you get the most dismissive answer ever completely ignoring import taxes and a zillion other factors that make even used Pixels cost more than brand new phones that are head and shoulders above them specs wise?

Demoralizing you? Be so for real dude. You really think I’m part of a psyop trying to make you give up your OS? Rest easy, I won’t reach thru the screen and snatch your phone.
Just know Graphene needs no negative marketing. If every user walks around talking like this about the project they’ll have plenty already.