By maintaining control over which apps can be sold to end users via the App Store, Apple is able to offer a layer of control over how these apps can access (or not) your personal data.
There's nothing ridiculous about wanting to maintain data privacy/security on mobile devices, and that being of a higher priority with mobile than with a PC.
Wouldn’t MS want to secure its laptops by bundling a browser?
Wouldn’t I have equally private and financial documents on a PC? location/gps can’t be that much of a differentiator.
It is monopoly bullying whoever they can. They just happen to not directly affect us, unless we happen to be a developer making lot of money or compete with apple in any way.
I am an app developer for iOS. It does directly affect me.