> Apple's treatment of their users in censored or oppressed jurisdictions should make them demand sideloading.

Sure, but once third party state-owned app stores are mandated, the whole handset is pre-owned. I don’t see how the slippery slope of allowing sideloading doesn’t slide to become a case of mandated state-owned pre-installs, because the only reason any state would want to own and operate an app store is because they want the power of first party app stores, and of their foreign jurisdictions, that they don’t currently have.

Most states don’t want you to sideload any more than you already do, because it doesn’t legibly generate GDP.

When every view is warped by the lens of “number go up” the myopia of states comes into focus. It becomes clear why folks cut their nose off to spite their face, because they can’t see past the tip of their nose.

(I don’t mean you, but I don’t know that sideloading will save us. I still think it’s better for many consumers, but I would hesitate to say most.)