Seems like the solution is to make that approval process independent. (As for who would pay for that, who can say, should it be government run?, should it have application fees? etc)
While I sympathise with developers who are the victim of mistakes, we have no transparency to know who is actually in the wrong.
There is also constant subjective criticism about what is too little or too much protective oversight. Fortnite was approved by both Apple and Google despite the FTC fining Epic for intentionally tricking children into making unwanted purchases, (Epic would also kill the account if the parent did charge backs), other scam apps have snuck onto the various stores over the years, and it wasn't too long ago that both Facebook and Google used side-loading to distribute data collection apps that wouldn't pass official channels.
The app is already available outside of Google's store. Those who wish to self-moderate their software downloads can already obtain the software. (Let the men eat meat! tick )
This scenario is for a curated marketplace which needs to demonstrate that they are not acting improperly towards those with which they could have a potential conflict of interest.
There is no opportunity to debate whether such marketplaces have a software discovery and security benefit, that is already established. Implying to dissolve the marketplace is unserious and not an answer to the problem, and not helpful to the ideals of computing for the masses.
As I noted elsewhere in the thread, Android Auto only works when your app is distributed through the Play store. Side loading doesn't get the correct signature to do that.
Ideally, installing apps from third parties should be as easy as from the google play store.
Today, when I install an APK I get a 10 seconds unskippable warning screen about "potential dangers", and after installing, another unskippable 1 minute "security check" screen. All of this bullshit is 100% done to deter most people from going through, by scaring them or making it a chore.
Also, apps installed through APKs do not update automatically, you have to fetch the updated APK file for every updates and go through this painful process again.
Ideally, we could use third party app stores, that would be allowed to provide the same level of comfort as the play store.
What version of Android is this? When I install an apk I only get a single confirm / cancel popup.
Also, as a sibling comment pointed out, there are third party app stores with all the comfort of the Play store (and far less adware): https://f-droid.org/
How to turn Google Play Protect on or off
Important: Google Play Protect is on by default, but you can turn it off. For
security, we recommend that you always keep Google Play Protect on.
Open the Google Play Store app Google Play.
At the top right, tap the profile icon.
Tap Play Protect and then Settings Settings.
Turn Scan apps with Play Protect on or off.
The thing that makes this particular case feel weird to me is that the organization playing gatekeeper is also competing directly with this app.