Shopify (and Other SaaS) Force Un-Dismissable AI Features on Users With No Opt-Out

Summary

Shopify merchants are frustrated that AI features like Sidekick are pushed into their admin interface and cannot be turned off without resorting to hacky third-party blocklists (e.g., a uBlock Origin filter list maintained by a random GitHub user). The 'How do I disable Sidekick completely?' question is answered only by community hacks rather than an official setting, showing that the platform deliberately denies users control over the tools injected into their own workspace. This is a severe, recurring pain for indie developers and small merchants whose workflows are cluttered by unwanted, non-removable AI — a signal of a broader, unsolved SaaS pattern (Notion, Stripe, Shopify et al.) where vendors optimize for their own AI roadmap at the expense of user control. No mainstream product gives users a clean, first-class way to opt out of vendor-imposed features, making this a clear, high-value indie opportunity (feature-control layer, workspace customizer, or privacy/AI-blocking tooling).