As much as possible, if you need to take a loan, better go to legit routes like banks. Because most online lending apps are scammers. As most of them don't have necessary legit business docs, they can anonymously operate and screw people.
Always check if they're a legitimate business to give loans to their users. Because you might be right that many of them operates and just made their own apps without prior guidance of the law and the country of their jurisdiction.
I have never taken any loan with them because I am fortunate and it is not on my mind to take any loans even if I am in need of money.
We have to learn from the others experience when they've taken loans from those apps and they're about to pay with interest, many have surcharges and they cannot complain.