"everyone is cheating, VAG just got caught first." Everyone was cheating in Europe, because European emissions rules were/are weak and you could get away with

"everyone is cheating, VAG just got caught first." Everyone was cheating in Europe, because European emissions rules were/are weak and you could get away with a defeat device provided it was for "engine protection". The difference with VW was that they tried to pull the same thing in the USA, which had much stronger rules and a clear prohibition against defeat devices.