Google doesn't lock you into the Play Store, though.
Is this something we just keep repeating, believing it to be true despite examples like this?
Because the examples on Google play are even worse?
from a user experience point of view it doesnt really matter how much of a distribution platform is compromised, if you reach a tipping point where it become useless.
The only real way to use apps stores these days is to have prior knowledge something is legit