They're trying to control malware. Tying apps that may be malicious to an identity that takes some degree of cost and effort to establish seems sensible in that light.
It's not that the identity prevents malware/abuse, but publishing any malware to the store burns the identity and establishing another is harder than simply coming up with a new email address. It's not necessarily the best scheme out of there, but it makes sense given their apparent goal.
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I'll take some downvotes too. Google software is malware by all definitions of the word. Exfiltration of personal data, unauthorized access and control of personal devices. Data loss when your account gets banned. Deceptive prompts and messaging. They promote SEO spam sites which contain MBs of javascript showing you ads that make them money while you pay for the electricity cost.
They do a lot of other horrible things too, they could expand the definition of malware.
Yeah, basically this is the rise of computer-credit agencies.
Youc an see the zeitgeist forming around corporations wanting to lock out any small unlicensed company from working on phones.
The key is mostly fascism in the guise of "security". Witness stuff like the ICE tracker app. Google would love a way to freeze out both it's appearance on the app store and any developer who'd program similar.
It’s not just Apple, lots of federal programs in US require a DUNS number.
To be clear, Apple does not require a DUNS number for developer registration.
It does if you have an org account: https://developer.apple.com/programs/enroll/
It seems kind of odd to me to rely on some kind of external hidden "credit agency"-style company for this? And why would DUNS want to know about some kid in their basement in Bangledesh making (non-malicious) apps, and why would the kid want Dun & Bradstreet to know about them? It makes no sense at all.