On iPhone, I can use the app without giving it the permission because if meta were to put up the same bullshit, they would get their app rejected from the store.
Now, you say you can install barebones Android ? Ever tried it ? It suck, lineageos and other have security issue, often poor battery, lack features and plenty of bugs.
You could uninstall the bloatware on your stock operating system ? Except that you don’t always know what is necessary and what isn’t. Meta (Facebook) have 3 app preinstalled on Samsung, 1 as user app, 2 as system app. Other are systemized and have extremely convulated name, or even embedded in an actual system app like the antivirus in Samsung device managements that used to send back lot of data to Chinese server.
Fairphone are expensive and not well built, murena ? They run e/os/, exact same issue as lineageos.
No really, it’s either pixel (and I’m not speaking of grapheneos, it got more and more issue with play service integrity being forced everywhere) or iPhone. Pick your poison.
Recommending Apple for privacy only makes sense for those who don't actually care and just want the feel-good premium brand