This is a pretty simple concept: the easier it is to run code on a device, the more options attackers have to trick users into installing it. Whether or not you follow the field, we have at this point 4+ decades of experience with people getting compromised because they installed something they thought was safe, and over that time we have seen attacks get more sophisticated as operating systems added safeguards. We’ve also seen the rise of entire businesses built on software which does things users wouldn’t have agreed to had they been fully informed. There’s a spectrum from classic malware to the quasi-legal stuff: spyware for governments or businesses who don’t trust their users, abusive spouses, or parents with control issues; and companies like Facebook who provide legitimate apps but also deeply detest transparency about the data they collect or how they use it. All of those represent enough money that they can provide polished apps, install instructions, customer service, etc. and many of them try to conceal their activities enough that all of the major operating systems have added limits to what applications or even administrators can access or run in the background, mandatory notifications when something sensitive like using your camera or microphone is requested, etc.

Apple’s answer to this was the App Store’s strict limits which has been effective (a lot of stalkerware has detailed instructions for sideloading in on an Android phone but either doesn’t support or has far less functionality on iOS) but that’s not the same as saying that’s the optimal balance for users. The EU is also interesting because they have strong privacy laws, so it might be the case that it’s not so bad there but would be a disaster in the U.S. without such restrictions making it riskier to hide intrusive activity. I would like to try other models but I also think that the more successful ones will look like what Apple announced where the model isn’t just “game over, buy a new phone” if someone ever makes a mistake about who they trust.