Don’t most Linux distributions not enable full disk encryption by default? How would that have improved the situation in this case?

AT&T is the one with the device-specific whitelist. Verizon doesn’t have a specific model white/blacklist but it does have lower compatibility because of the bands they support.

I guess it’s some sort of sick performance art by showing that even though the >90% voted no AI, DDG will still have AI turned on by default in its main site and corral the >90% into the hidden away subdomain.