With GME there was research that suspected many brokers lend them out no matter what.
They are only giving you an IOU most of the time without actually going and purchasing a share on your behalf.
All non DRS'd shares are a fraudulent mess of digital IOUs that don't even have your name attached to them, and this allows all sorts of bullshit to happen. And then you get into 'rehypothicated shares' which are basically them trading shares that don't actually exist.
DRS through transfer agent is the only way to actually own them in your name, which also takes them out of the IOU pool.
With GME there was research that suspected many brokers lend them out no matter what.
They are only giving you an IOU most of the time without actually going and purchasing a share on your behalf.
All non DRS'd shares are a fraudulent mess of digital IOUs that don't even have your name attached to them, and this allows all sorts of bullshit to happen. And then you get into 'rehypothicated shares' which are basically them trading shares that don't actually exist.
DRS through transfer agent is the only way to actually own them in your name, which also takes them out of the IOU pool.