Google's antivirus is optional, so if a user was cognizant of the dangers of using Aptoide but still wanted to risk it couldn't they turn Play Protect off? Goo

Google's antivirus is optional, so if a user was cognizant of the dangers of using Aptoide but still wanted to risk it couldn't they turn Play Protect off? Google and Microsoft are often criticized for malware that targets Android and Windows, respectively, but restrictions such as this render Play Protect and Windows Defender increasingly toothless in the battle against malware vectors.