The popular narrative is that Rockstar hates modding. The real story is more complicated - quietly accepting of single-player mods for years, cracking down hard on online cheating, a bit of a wildcard sometimes.
What Rockstar has actually done
Let OpenIV exist for years. Lifted the 2017 cease-and-desist. Purchased Cfx.re (FiveM) in 2023. Aggressively went after cheating software online, but rarely after single-player modders.
Net read: lenient towards single-player use, strict against online use. That's a coherent position.
Why the reputation persists
The 2017 cease-and-desist made plenty of noise despite how quickly it was rescinded. Banning online modders speaks louder than leaving single-player modders alone. Brand reputation inertia.