In which I attempt to be pragmatic. Are you allowed to run whatever computer program you want on the hardware you own? This is a question where freedom, practicality, and reality all collide into a mess. Google has recently announced that Android users will only be able to install apps which have been digitally signed by developers who have registered their name and other legal details with…
I think the better question is "is it possible to disallow side loading and keep users safe? From my understanding the Play Store is full of malware.
Most likely the result of two things:
Google’s cost of entry is much lower than Apple’s. The cost of getting banned is much lower and so scammers can try more.
Google doesn’t do nearly the same level of due diligence that Apple does for the App Store. That’s not to say that Apple’s is perfect but it’s clearly a far better model of protecting users.
People that want to run whatever can always go through the crazy levels needed to jailbreak their iOS system, and install whatever they want. And “normies” get more protection.