> Apple been tightening that control over time. For a long time on MacOS X you could simply run apps. Then came notarisation, but you could still disable it. Now, even with a certificate, it still shows a dialog.

Notarisation is just proof that the app went through an automated malware scan.

Windows, Mac, and Android have all adopted measures intended to warn and attempt to protect users from malware.

As far as age verification goes, this is a restriction being forced on companies by governments.

Apple previously allowed parents to set age restrictions on their children, or not, as they saw fit.

You have to pay apple 150$ annually for the pleasure of notarisation, even if you make open-source apps. Yet you cannot distribute apps outside store on mobile (besides in eu, but not really, but is't topic on its own…).

Notarised apps are still handled differently and made harder to run than apps from the AppStore