I mean, they're not entirely wrong. Apple has long subscribed to the Club Bouncer model of security: "bad stuff can't hurt our users if we control who's allowed

I mean, they're not entirely wrong. Apple has long subscribed to the Club Bouncer model of security: "bad stuff can't hurt our users if we control who's allowed in and what they're allowed to do at all times." Sideloading is like sneaking past the bouncer, and the club owner (Apple) is afraid that someone will sneak past the bouncer with a gun. Which is possible, of course. On the other hand, Google and other companies take the TSA approach instead: it doesn't block who can come in, but it stops everyone at the door and takes away anything that might be dangerous. Sometimes, that results in removal of harmless water bottles, but overall it allows more people to be more free, with around the same level of security as the Club. I very much dislike Apple's garden wall model (and the way they occasionally use it to steal ideas from devs), which is why the only Apple product I use is my company-mandated work MacBook. But obviously, their model works for them, considering how many people love their products, so...