While I agree that an open and distributed messaging system (such as Waku[1]) can improve things, it’s not enough. Apple Store and Google Play Store are the true gatekeepers. And governments can request Apple or Google to remove an app from the Store at their will (this has happened before).
An app out of these stores has zero possibilities of survival. Average users don’t use (nor want to use) VPNs or hacks to use their phones.