@horns @TheGibson This is definitely true for walled garden apps like WhatsApp or Signal where a single provider controls everything. Maybe it's also true for Matrix since the (venture capital funded) startup behind Matrix basically controls the thing (the protocol itself, the only production-ready server implementation, the matrix.org instance, ...).

For internet standards like HTTP, XMPP, SMTP, ... this is less true and more like saying we need inches in case the centimeter turns evil.