Your phone is still yours, you can still install third party apps, and you can still develop apps without a verification. But now there's a one-off hurdle to install them.
Not ideal, but when we think of the people that it's trying to protect, this feels like a reasonable middle ground.
> This side however seems to stick its head in the sand over security, "I wouldn't fall for it therefore it's not a problem"
Which is also a total misrepresentation of the arguments made on the website, and made by many people opposing these changes. Again, since you mention good faith and nuance.
> By all means push back on security being a concern,
The website does not seem to push back on security being a concern in general, if I'm reading it right. It does however push back on the idea that changes made by Google will actually increase security of the users.
> but the numbers don't support this.
Can I see these numbers? I would seriously love to.