As with Google accounts, it's not hypothetical, it's a risk. People do occasionally get locked out of being an Apple developer for reasons they cannot foresee.
> Apple has locked my Apple ID, and I have no recourse. A plea for help* https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46252114
> Apple bans entire dev account, no reason given https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44601548
It’s still rhetorical sleight of hand.
I could have a stroke that leaves me unable to program. Does that mean I am not truly free to program today?
Those are risks, but they do not change the on-the-ground reality today, and the claim was that users, today, cannot use these device as general purpose computers.