Apple and Google have more resources than just about anyone, and struggle to get this right, even though it is obviously in their interest to do so. I just do not get the idea that adding a bunch of other random app stores is going to somehow make for better user experience or security.
An obvious move for scammers would be to flood the alternate app store with fake versions of popular apps in the hope that a bunch of people would accidentally install them. Many users are not sophisticated and a scam only needs a few victims to make money.
The alternate app store would struggle to moderate against that, and since Apple has no way to reach in and fix it, they would have to cut off an alternate app store at some point when it gets too bad. And then everyone would lose their minds over that.
> Apple and Google have more resources than just about anyone, and struggle to get this right, even though it is obviously in their interest to do so.
This sounds a lot like you believe that if Apple or Google fail or refuse to do something, then it can't be done. It's in their interests to pay as little as they possibly need to in order to keep the App Store and Play Store money hoses operating.
If there was competition in the mobile app distribution market, then I'd agree that it's in their interests to curate their app stores, because competition would wipe them out otherwise.
Unfortunately, Apple and Google have leveraged their duopoly in the mobile operating system market to prevent competitors from competing with them in, and improving, the mobile app distribution market.
> An obvious move for scammers would be to flood the alternate app store with fake versions of popular apps in the hope that a bunch of people would accidentally install them.
There are dozens of app stores for other computing devices and operating systems where this isn't a problem. Competition means that no user is forced to use a poorly curated mobile app store like they are currently forced to use Apple's poorly curated App Store.
An obvious move for scammers would be to flood the alternate app store with fake versions of popular apps in the hope that a bunch of people would accidentally install them. Many users are not sophisticated and a scam only needs a few victims to make money.
The alternate app store would struggle to moderate against that, and since Apple has no way to reach in and fix it, they would have to cut off an alternate app store at some point when it gets too bad. And then everyone would lose their minds over that.