Whats odd is calling a application "not secure" because it uses the platform's software distribution channel.

Here's a thought. If you are so concerned about the NSA that you think Google's cloud is a problem, why are you running the OS developed by Google?

The open-source base OS is fine, the closed-source services layer and cloud platform are not.

Sounds like you're confident you (or the FOSS community collective) can spot cleverly hidden backdoors.

I'm not, and I find that position naieve. For the overwhelming majority of people who are not a cross between Bruce Schneier and Linus Torvalds, a threat model that tries to protect against the NSA and GRU and MSS pretty much requires avoiding anything with a network connection. If you have a smartphone, you should probably just use its default application store.

The application uses google play, which almost every other android application in the world uses by default. And somehow that makes them untrustworthy?