Mobile phones are never really secure, but any other than the stock Android is an advance. The worst privacy breaches are the used apps, if they are from Google Play, always check the app permissions in the phone settings, use WiFi only if needed, never store sensitive data in the phone, desactivate localisation/GPS if not needed, usw VPN or at least DNScrypt (InviZible Pro from F-Droid, never from Google Play), check apps with Exodus Privacy, use private chats (Matrix or similar instead of Whatscrap & cia), storing photos in a privacy respecting cloud instead of Google Photos, eg. https://ente.io/, especially always common sense, PEBCAK.
Regarding privacy breaches I agree with your tips but its not Google play specific. Fdroid apps can do the same and random apks from links or github can be worse.
It is always needed to check well an soft (Exodus Privacy, reading PP/TOS, permissions in the phone…), independing from where you download it, but certainly apps from Google Play are not the same as from F-Droid or their corresponding homepage. eg.I mencioned InviZible Pro, which from Google Play is an castrated version, without the original adblock function, same also in other privacy apps. Google Play is the worst place to download an app, always use it as last option if possible. Adding also the need to use an AV in the phone, eg.BitDefender is a good choice, even the free version, because the Google Playprotect is absolute trash, which protect against nothing. Apk from the Play store with malware are only removed after claims from affected users.
Some dont get security updates. Others still share data with google. As I understand it.
Mobile phones are never really secure, but any other than the stock Android is an advance. The worst privacy breaches are the used apps, if they are from Google Play, always check the app permissions in the phone settings, use WiFi only if needed, never store sensitive data in the phone, desactivate localisation/GPS if not needed, usw VPN or at least DNScrypt (InviZible Pro from F-Droid, never from Google Play), check apps with Exodus Privacy, use private chats (Matrix or similar instead of Whatscrap & cia), storing photos in a privacy respecting cloud instead of Google Photos, eg. https://ente.io/, especially always common sense, PEBCAK.
Regarding privacy breaches I agree with your tips but its not Google play specific. Fdroid apps can do the same and random apks from links or github can be worse.
It is always needed to check well an soft (Exodus Privacy, reading PP/TOS, permissions in the phone…), independing from where you download it, but certainly apps from Google Play are not the same as from F-Droid or their corresponding homepage. eg.I mencioned InviZible Pro, which from Google Play is an castrated version, without the original adblock function, same also in other privacy apps. Google Play is the worst place to download an app, always use it as last option if possible. Adding also the need to use an AV in the phone, eg.BitDefender is a good choice, even the free version, because the Google Playprotect is absolute trash, which protect against nothing. Apk from the Play store with malware are only removed after claims from affected users.