Apple has released a scaremongering, self-serving warning aimed at the Australian government, claiming that Australians will be overrun by a parade of digital horribles if Australia follows the European Union’s lead and regulates Apple’s “walled garden.” The EU’s Digital Markets Act is a big,...
If this were to happen it would have happened on Android a long time ago but it didn’t.
Banking Trojans have hit millions of Android devices in 2025 — here are the biggest threats and how to protect yourself
Just because you aren’t aware of it, it doesn’t mean it’s not happening already.
I was talking about the point you made in your first paragraph. Where businesses would suddenly start providing their apps only in third party stores.
Well you weren’t very specific, so I wasn’t sure which point(s) you were disagreeing with.
I’m sure there are a number of apps which were only available on one storefront (Google, Samsung, F-Droid etc.).
China is in an even worse spot, as Google is outright banned - there are a dozen or so competing Android app stores; however their saving grace is that literally every digital transaction goes through either Weixin or AliPay - so there’s a somewhat lessened risk of credit card fraud.
Why would smaller, niche apps move to alternative stores on iOS? To (rightfully) avoid the excessive fees charged - so yes, a restaurant would be a prime example of someone not be willing / able to give 30% to Apple (nor should they, it’s downright extortion).
BTW, this only happens (usually!!) if you install from the web, which… like, if you don’t have the tech literacy to figure out what’s fake or not (especially banking?? Any reasonable bank HAS an app in official platforms, like the play store) then you don’t need and shouldn’t sideload, BUT the option is there for people like me, who use F-Droid and other FOSS-related apps.
The only downside is that unless people literally ignore warnings from the system for downloading apps (maybe first time stuff, then either the warning design sucks, or again, user error) then maybe just maybe they should read, if it’s not official play store.