“Sideloading is a cybercriminal’s best friend, and requiring that on the iPhone would be a gold rush for the malware industry,” he said to a large audience. “That one provision in the DMA could force every iPhone user into a landscape of professional con artists constantly trying to fool them.”

I in no way think that Apple’s biggest concerned is with the safety of iPhone users in this case. Their number one concern is App Store revenue. Period. They believe in their bones that they are owned a % of every transaction that happens on their device. Regardless of what or how it occurs. The simple conclusion they draw is, if it happen in any way on an iPhone you owe Apple a cut.

Federighi also never mentioned Apple’s likely other motive for fighting against sideloading: Sideloading would further hinder the company’s ability to ensure it gets a slice of every app’s revenue, after a US judge already chipped away at that capability by deciding that Apple must allow links to third-party payment systems in apps downloaded from the App Store.