This means a pickpocket or airport security control can’t take a copy of your system image via USB and brute force your few-digit passcode in a virtual machine without guess rate limiting. If they crack it, they can start using your user accounts and whatever information is on the phone.
With /e/OS, the bootloader can be relocked on Fairphone, Shiftphone, Teracube, and Google Pixel, and they are sold locked by Murena. https://community.e.foundation/t/list-devices-where-bootloader-can-be-relocked/48424
This means a pickpocket or airport security control can’t take a copy of your system image via USB and brute force your few-digit passcode in a virtual machine without guess rate limiting. If they crack it, they can start using your user accounts and whatever information is on the phone.
With LineageOS, relocking is not so rosy: https://wiki.lineageos.org/faq#canshould-i-relock-my-bootloader
https://forum.fairphone.com/t/relock-fp5-keeping-lineageos/108723
https://www.reddit.com/r/LineageOS/comments/n7yo7u/a_discussion_about_bootloader_lockingunlocking/
https://xdaforums.com/t/solved-can-i-re-oem-lock-my-bootloader-after-installing-lineageos.4692135/#post-89707810