Apple CEO Tim Cook criticizes European law that would break App Store hold

    “If you take an example of where I don’t think it’s in the best interest, that the current DMA language that is being discussed, would force sideloading on the iPhone,” Cook said. “And so this would be an alternate way of getting apps onto the iPhone, as we look at that, that would destroy the security of the iPhone.”

I'm willing to grant this. Personally I don't think it has to be true, but I'll grant it. I still would like the choice to be up to me, please.

And in other breaking news - "Water is Wet!" /s

The App Store makes Apple billions of dollars by forcing developers to shell out an annual recurring fees, an arbitarily decided percentage cut of every sale from every app, and through "free" adware infested apps (that use Apple's advertising networks).

All this is only possible because the ios / iPadOS platform deliberately cripples the ability to directly install an app from anywhere else but the Apple App Store.

The result - developers make less profit, open source developers of free apps struggle, and owner-consumers of iPhones and iPads ultimately end up with costlier apps because of the "Apple Tax" most are not even aware of.