From my understanding I think that is not technically possible because to pass video they need the data lines but maybe I'm mistaken?
IIUC again even if it did work I think these would be non-compliant. People hell-bent on doing non-compliant things would do it irrespective of any design.
> low-voltage only cables
That's a given due to physical constraints (length, diameter: would you accept that all cables are 0.8m / thick and unbendable). It was so with USB-A too, as well as non-standard power delivery, at the risk of setting things on fire or destroying devices. USB-PD makes it so that you basically can't fry anything or melt a cable, it falls back to the best possible through negotiation. But then again, people hell-bent on doing non-compliant things would do it irrespective of any design.
> literally manufactures are going to cheap out and not do that and you have 1-way USB-C cables without any kind of orientation markers.
Non-compliant for sure. Ah, yes, people hell-bent on doing non-compliant things would do it irrespective of any design.
At least with USB-C+USB-4+USB-PD we get a fighting chance.
> An obviously key'd connector like firewire / ethernet would've solved all of USB-A's flip it thrice problems
Rumour has it that USB-B which is keyed, has five positions due to squareness. FireWire and Ethernet have the same state superpositions as USB-A. Hell I've seen people shove an Ethernet cable the wrong way in and have it fit (breaking the infamous clip in the process). USB-C? I lay it basically flat and clip it in, barely looking at the connector and not even taking a glance at the port. Worst case it needs a few degrees rotation.