This is an example of a strategic bind: Google wants Android to be "cleaner," to better compete with Apple. This means no underhanded service modules or system

This is an example of a strategic bind: Google wants Android to be "cleaner," to better compete with Apple. This means no underhanded service modules or system extensions, and no intrusive or otherwise low quality privileged apps. Android phones are inexpensive because Google doesn't make money directly from licensing the OS. Barriers to entry are low, competition is fierce, and hardware differentiation is only possible at the high end (e.g. vertically integrated OEMs like Samsung). This means at the high end Samsung's product managers won't give up making Samsung phone differentiated through things like Bixby, which is a value-subtracted wart on Android, and at the low end, cheap OEMs won't stop taking payments from app makers who monetize by collecting user data. Google has the power to reject OEM products that violate whatever standards Google chooses to impose on OEMs, but, as Microsoft learned decades ago, standing between a low margin OEM and a few extra dollars per unit is a difficult position. Once a product ships, policing updates is even harder. If you are wondering "Why can't I get a 'clean' TV, phone, PC, etc?" This is why.