There are ways to work around that, though it requires the developer to create some server infrastructure.

Edit: Also pretending that using Apple is fine is not secure - Apple can provide the data (given it's a US based company) if law enforcement asks, so not knowing them personally doesn't change much.

Everything about this screams honeypot. They are lying about push notifications. All push notification tokens can be linked to a device. iOS makes it easier to conceal malicious code. It's more steps to obtain the application for third party decompilation and analysis. Apple is playing nice with the current treasonous administration. As long as the secret court and gag orders apply you can never trust a single company to protect your information. That's why open source releases of Android and other OS are a better option. Because you can't attack the people running it directly. Still don't run any variant of ice block. We need another version. Web based if possible that can be accessed with VPN.