you sketch a good frame to help think about this challenge holistically. the list of failed initiatives is by now so large it almost gives you a statistical sam

you sketch a good frame to help think about this challenge holistically. the list of failed initiatives is by now so large it almost gives you a statistical sample of factors to take into account (I contributed a data point once - one of the <10K firefox-os/zte users :-( but somehow the numbers could/should add up at some point. If you think (ballpark) a billion devices in circulation and assume that 1-in-1000 people has a combination of awareness and ability to afford a private / open source device, that is your 1M right there. this should be a very conservative estimate. it assumes that people (more precisely those who claim to represent their best interests) will continue with the inexcusable practice of governments "not interfering" with the "market" (in quotes because it not a real market when you have two options). While some governments slowly take legislative steps in the data privacy space, I have never seen any actual warning from official lips about privacy (the way they warn about assuming financial risk, being overweight, drunk driving, not getting vaccinated etc). maybe the current business model only stands due to the "subsidy through silence"?