"One of the reasons I left Google was ... "collect and monetize information"."

This is the reason why I insist on rooting every new phone I get and then installing Xposed/XPrivacy (alternatively, I would install Cyanogenmod and use Privacy Guard). It is stunning how often Play looks for location access and how many things break when its ability to snoop on one's location is restricted. Fortunately, the HERE mapping app serves as a reasonable substitute.

A more general rant on Play: it has served as the biggest bug on most of my recent devices. I have a Nexus 7 2013 that was undergoing chronic power drain. I dumped the Google version of the OS and installed Cyanogenmod with no Google Apps - power drain solved. I now install most apps using F-Droid or APKPure. My Sony (rooted) avoids this problem by having a built-in deep sleep mode that keeps the Play activity down. Sad, just sad.

The title doesn't do the story justice: Your location is being tracked 24/7 on Android.