That is nonsense, Android is OpenSource, based on Linux, adapted to mobile, but with APIs controlled by Google, Linage, e/OS, Ubuntu Touch, etc...... are other distros of Linux for Mobile, compatible with Android apps. There Google can do nothing to avoid the use of not approved apps, like it can do it in Android due it's inbuild APIs and banning those from Google Play, which other OS don't have or use. Because of this I also don't like GrapheneOS, because it works only on Google Phones, which can block apps on HW base if Google want it. In other Phones, eg.FairPhone with own idependent OS, there Google see only the middle finger.

They literally have no power over the ROMs lol