When incorporated functions are enabled or disabled depending on trim, it sounds like "coding" in a number of German manufactures.
In a similar vein, there are numerous cloned diagnostic tools (such as GM Tech 2 and Porsche PIWIS) and third-party products (such as Autel, Foxwell, Carly, Thinkdiag, etc.) that can still decode the vehicles.
Has it been verified that a high-end Autel or similar device does not have these settings?
Does MDARS require internet connectivity in order to function (web browser/console based) or is it merely utilised to verify an active MDARS licence with Mazda?
In the latter case, the emergence of clones wouldn't shock me in the least.