The very point of the bootloader being not locked down means its irrelevant who did what to it in the past, you can wipe and install a clean install of Android

The very point of the bootloader being not locked down means its irrelevant who did what to it in the past, you can wipe and install a clean install of Android (or any other OS) on it. It won't prevent manufacturer from having hidden code and overrides elsewhere of course, but then its the manufacturer at this stage whos hostile, not resellers. People are able to use asymmetric key encryption on non-locked down devices alright, so thats total bs. The exact mechanism and os design does not matter the end question is do you control your phone? Can you wipe it and install software of your choice? And since Android is based on a linux kernel, root access is one aspect of having the "master key" to your phone. Its not enough, the full step is not only a root shell but having enough information available to reinstall anything you want on it.