On the threads kicked off by someone whining about Apple protecting customer privacy from app authors, people rage that Apple should have no power to stop people loading terrible applications just like this.
It is better all software be democratized or decentralized which makes the responsibility to filter and ignore bad content fall on the individual or community who can maintain block lists all can override or can opt in or out of.
In a dictatorship or centralized technology however the responsibility falls to a central entity that removes all choice from you and even removes the ability to review the code they expect you to agree to run. Almost like making people sign legal agreements without reading them. By design a dictator implies they can and will always make better choices than anyone else. Dictators by design must be -perfect- to evade the due criticism for taking away free choice.
In a world run by software the method of governance for that software is of a similar level of importance as the governance of our countries.
> the responsibility to filter and ignore bad content fall on the individual or community.
Apple protects customer privacy from app authors through strong access controls and permissions model.
Side-loaded apps would benefit from all of these protections just the same as apps from the app store.
Your comment implies the only thing Apple has done to improve privacy and security is curation of the app store.