Not GP, and fully agree that having the option for side-loading would be a largely positive thing for users and the software community. But one counterargument

Not GP, and fully agree that having the option for side-loading would be a largely positive thing for users and the software community. But one counterargument goes like this: When you relax the rules, larger players will be able to leverage them against individual users. For example, Meta would be able to release MetaStore, the app with exclusive distribution rights to Meta apps. Now you need a facebook account to install whatsapp. Not sure its sustainable, however.