Sure, by running a fork of stock Android you can certainly reduce your exposure to Google but you also "severely" limit your experience -> no maps, no play stor

Sure, by running a fork of stock Android you can certainly reduce your exposure to Google but you also "severely" limit your experience -> no maps, no play store (= relying on limited third party stores) and so on, and these are just core applications (not including Chrome, Keep, Youtube, the other "Store" applications and all the rest here). Also there is no guarantee you cut all ties with Google. I am not sure I would dare to claim plain Android does not communicate with Google at all. The desire to avoid Google and still using Android (whatever incarnation of it) does not go too well hand in hand I am afraid.