Meta/Facebook preinstalls an app called Meta Services (previously Facebook services) on a very large percentage of android devices (I've never used one without it) and while they claim it helps updates and synchronisation between different meta apps, it is very suspicious. Why preinstall it on devices of people who will potentialy never use a single meta app?
Go to your app list/app management and show system apps and find anything with the words "meta" or "Facebook" then turn off network access for those apps (if you can) and disable them. (eg. Meta app manager, Meta app installer).
Edit: Looking around I have found several people complaining that this app is using their ram for 10 hours a day even though they don't use anything Meta. That's even more suspicious.
Shit like this is why I use a DeGoogled phone. Get a Pixel and install GrapheneOS or CalyxOS and use open source apps wherever you can, and sandbox any Google Play apps you have to use (banking, etc).
I don't think they were implying that it was. Pixel phones don't have this, but they have loads of other methods of stealing your data. Ungoogled ROMs are focused on complete privacy, not just from google.