Nonfree software establishes "manorial computing" — a local
aristocrat (nowadays a corporation, not a person) offers to take care
of you and protect you in your computing, and you in return submit
helplessly to its dominion.
Doctorow's "Ulysses Pact" refers to a point I've made in many speeches
condemning Apple's eagerness to spy for China. It is applicable to
you as well. If you erase Windows, MacOS, or Android, and get rid of
an iMonster, people will understand it is futile to ask you to use it.
Making people serfs on a manor is as evil now as it was a thousand
years ago. Medieval Europe experienced many revolts of the people
against aristocrats; one of them created a free country that still
exists: Switzerland. The Swiss revolt spread from valley by valley
over a period of hundreds of years. I've cited this inspiring example
in my speeches in Switzerland.
So pick up your digital pitchforks and chase those aristos out of your
computer!
Alas, the story of William Tell appears to be a myth, though the context
it is set in is real.