Technically true, but wheels can include a `.pth` which will run arbitrary code as soon as Python is started, which is only marginally less dangerous. Recently exploited in the LiteLLM attack.
We could then add the philosophical question of asking what's the difference between:
1. Adding malicious code to a package's .pth file that's evaluated automatically on every python invocation
2. Adding malicious code to the package itself that's evaluated automatically on every python invocation _that uses that package_
Packaging systems that don't run arbitrary code when you install a package are more trustworthy than ones that do, but there's still the essential trust you have to place in all code you're installing, directly and indirectly.