Fairphone 4 locked-down software = planned obsolescence?

[jimbowen]

Here, specifically:
Continuing the discussion from Unlocking bootloader online vs offline:

@anon9989719

IMEI number
Fairphone have that already so you are not giving any information away only confirming the that this is a particular phone to be unlocked. Unlocking a phone, from what I have heard requires informing Google, no matter how it is done. (Will try and reference that)