This is not a Fairphone security feature, this is standard Android rollback protection.
(And yes, it’s annoying.)
But the way I understood it up until now a new install should be possible including a data wipe? In which case a manual install of an older version should be possible … Install /e/OS on a Fairphone FP4 - “FP4”
This was an upgrade from Android 13 (T) to Android 14 (U), so a major change.
Regarding your topic title … which Apps break and how? (Perhaps something could be done knowing what this is about.)
Did you already reboot the phone again (after the reboot when upgrading)?