> there cannot exist an easy way for a typical non-technical user to install “unverified apps” (whatever that means), because the governments of countries where such scams are widespread will hold Google responsible.

You can also view this as a "tragedy of the commons" situation. Unverified apps and sideloading is actively abused by scammers right now.

> Meanwhile this very fact seems fundamentally unacceptable to many, so there will be no end to this discourse IMO.

I get that viewpoint and I'm also very glad an opt-out now exists (and the risk that the verification would be abused is also very real), but yeah, more information what to do against scammers then would also be needed.