

See, that argument would be fine if not for the fact as the vast majority of android malware comes from the google play store. The percentage of android users that actually install apps from alternative sources is so much smaller than those of the play store, and the existence of F-Droid and other community run app stores invalidates your argument. This is not about protecting users from malware, its about not allowing you to install what programs you want ON THE DEVICE YOU PAY FOR. https://www.bitdefender.com/en-gb/blog/labs/malicious-google-play-apps-bypassed-android-security



Relevant xkcd:
https://xkcd.com/2138/