Depending on how much discretion Apple is allowed, this might make it possible for anyone to run a free service that allows people to side load their own apps a

Depending on how much discretion Apple is allowed, this might make it possible for anyone to run a free service that allows people to side load their own apps as an app store which would only be slightly less convenient than directly side loading apps. In the EU, Apple is attempting to superficially comply (I don't think it's really even complying with the letter of the law but I guess it thinks it's worth a shot) while keeping the ability to unilaterally block apps from third party stores, but that will likely get rejected by regulators, and it might end up being forced to allow anyone to operate an app store and having to give up any control over apps distributed that way. I haven't read the text of the Japanese lawbyet, however, so I'm not sure how much control apple will be able to exercise over third party app stores in Japan. I guess from the perspective of user control of devices it would be better if you could at least just enter a URL for an arbitrary self hosted "app store" and that seems unlikely since the laws are coming more from the perspective of antitrust law, but it still may be able to get closer to that.