Google is constantly working to prove that if their label is on it, you probably don't really want it.
> Confirming app verification status will be the job of a new system component called the Android Developer Verifier, which will be rolled out to devices in the next major release of Android 16.
So I need to block all updates and hold steady before that version then. I can live with that.
Blocking all updates will lead to your device getting pwned through vulnerabilities that are fixed for everyone else. The only safe alternative is to switch to a new OS, possibly a fork.