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I didn't, as far as I'm aware. They are indeed beholden to their shareholders and I said nothing of value. Investors desire shares of profitable companies with consistent growth. As an AWS customer, you are the consistent growth. First as a new customer, a statistic paraded to investors. Later through price increases bringing real revenue.

Brushing off lock-in is a short term luxury.

While that's an interesting read, reality would disagree

If society at large, and judges in particular think it's true, then it's true. A partially socially constructed world is like that.

I can't quite follow the article. Is it trying to argue that it's bad when it happens, or that it doesn't happen, or both?

I understood parent as repeating the claim that companies are beholden to their shareholders to maximize (short-term) profit. The article I linked discusses from several angles that this is a myth, companies are not forced (for example by law, as myth repeaters often claim) to maximize short term profit for shareholders. They can aim for different values and strategies.