Who said anything about location permission?

Did they edit their post? I just see "They don't even allow disabling internet permissions on a flashlight app, the OS is run by an internet ad company so it makes sense."

If you're implying that you need location permission to turn internet access into a tracking problem, you're wrong.

Play Protect and the approval process are mostly make-work because you don't have control over internet permissions--because Google needs them everywhere for their ads business they have to put a lot of energy into this edifice.

This is about the continuous background location permission. In the past years they have cracked down on this, yes. But nothing forbids you from requesting the foreground approximate or fine location permissions.

So yes, this hypothetical flashlight app can request the permission. The user has to allow it in some way - approx or precise, one-time or always. But also nowadays the users sees when & what app is requesting these kind of permissions. It's a moot point.

(For background location there's an extensive form in the play store, you even have to send videos in many cases - for foreground, there's nothing)

Or... they can just use the builtin tile. This is such a bizarre offtopic theorycrafting fest based on decade old ideas.