Why do you want to root? I didn't really feel the need for the past few years.
Such data should be put in (or encrypted by) the hardware-backed keystore. You get to have full access to what the OS does, including seeing what data gets passed into this secure element for encryption or signing (you retain visibility and control), and yet secrets can't be leaked to you or an attacker who tries to extract those secrets
See e.g. your bank card: it's yours, you can choose where to stick it and what transactions it authorizes, but you can't get at the token that serves as proof of possession nor reset the PIN attempts counter. Your phone('s banking app) could work in the same way and has the hardware on board that makes this possible. So you see, it's a choice that you don't get to see what apps are doing and people are scared into believing that access to their own phone is bad. It's a matter of conflicting incentives on the vendor side, not technical risk
If you control the build, you should implement your own Backup Service. You should not just open all apps' data to any app.
It's easier and more reliable to use adb root to rsync everything. No apps need root access that way.
I'm quite surprised people who post here don't get that. I've been lurking for years even though my account is new and even though general hackerishness here has gotten a bit reduced over the years, but it's still HackerNews, not ConsumerNews. No offense implied - I just hoped I'd see more people willing to claim their right to own and modify their OS like a true hacker.
Just how I may be OK with staying at home for months with deliveries and internet access and everything else provided for me, but I want the freedom to go outside. There is rarely anything I need that's outside, to be honest. And outside is more dangerous. But I want to be able to sudo outside whenever I want for whatever reason I want.
I think it's completely reasonable to want to be able to get root on your device. For the exact reasons you mentioned. GrapheneOS allows that.
To actually do so, it's reasonable to have a reason. Otherwise what you're doing is basically running commands with sudo "because you can", which will bite you.
To have a rooted phone just for the sake of the trophy of having a rooted phone is something generally considered worse. Better to have a rootable phone, which you root if or when you have need of it.
This is indeed pretty reasonable. Very easy to root at any time after flashing LineageOS, for example.
If I could point out, the vast majority of people you see writing things as stupid as that are either have a huge stake in the company/industry or the government.
Thanks for all of your other comments in this thread I read them all and it is such useful advice for everyone, even seasoned security people.
It isn't natural to want less freedom.