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Once again, the Mac already has third party access to apps direct from developers, in app bundles, etc. It's ALWAYS been this way. Odds are good that most anyone reading this has at least ONE app they've downloaded from a third party and NOT through the Mac App Store. Unlike these app stores he's referencing, this is GLOBAL availability to get Mac apps however anyone wants to get them... from ANY source.
iDevices sync passwords to iCloud which syncs them to Mac Keychain. The same passwords are generally as accessible on the Mac. Can you auto-login to your bank, your credit cards, etc on your Mac? Does it auto-fill passwords to the most secure sites you use? If so, some nefarious software able to access such stuff on iDevices can access such stuff on your Mac. The "organized crime syndicates" would have already harvested such passwords from Macs years ago.
How many long-term Mac owners have suffered financial catastrophes, had "bank accounts drained", lost their home and possessions, had their children taken into slavery, endured locusts/frogs/plague/famine because of evil doings of Mac apps in the 40 years since Mac was born?
Let the "Apple is always right" crowd sing the same chorus but all it takes now is patiently giving it a few months to see if millions of people in the EU are devastated by this new flexiblity. The EU has MORE people than the U.S. So, if the risk is as high as spun over and over and over again, the fire & brimstone destruction should be abundantly obvious very soon.
Another EU law basically "forced" the switch from lightning to USB-C. That was always spun as very negative by Apple and thus chorused by Apple fans as terrible too. That too was not spun as being about the money (proprietary port and licensing revenue). Remember wobbly? Lint-magnet? Broken tongues galore? It's been many months now. Where's the abundance of broken tongues? Where's the abundant USB-C port replacement kiosks springing up like cellular kiosks? I'm STILL finding lint in my pocket. The pre-change spin made it seem like I'd never have to clean the lint filter in the dryer again, but there it is every time... exactly as it was before the USB lint vacuums were installed.
Just like USB-C, this is much ado about nothing in terms of how it will destroy millions of people's lives in the EU. What it will do is undermine a very lucrative stream of easy cash for Apple. And that's the actual reason they are against it. Nobody with complete control of any kind of market wants to facilitate competition. And they always make up very good (sounding) rationale why they should retain complete control of a market they 100% own. Why? Because "We want to 100% retain this easy & very lucrative cash cow" doesn't come off as well.
Again, doubt it??? Just stand by and gloat when millions of EU people are devastated by this change. Then, Apple and Apple fans can spin "I told you so" to no end. It will only take a few months to either witness the rampant destruction or realize it was only another big pile of spin. The risk from this is limited to those places where third party options are possible (so not the U.S.). And even the fans in the EU who believe the spin can opt to just keep getting apps only from the Apple App Store until they see what happens.
My guess is there will be a handful of cases that will seem like big news... just as there are a handful of cases for Mac... just as there are handful of cases of iPhones spontaneously combusting. Otherwise, countless millions are about to enjoy getting the same great apps for less money (robust competition almost always drives prices DOWN) and will have access to stuff that Apple- for whatever reason- has decided people shall not have via their store (such as Epic games). I hope the EU people enjoy their better values and broader selection of apps. As an American myself, I envy your Mac-like freedoms for the iDevices you own.
