It was like this since latest Android 11 update. Seems like you may have just made a new discovery. It was possible to access that folder with a third party file manager while it was restricted but as we install and get excited to update the software, backdoors are slowly patched and access became more restricted and small features disappears.
The only way you can access that folder data is by connecting your phone to a PC via a Type C USB cable then you use the computer's file manager to access the data directory and tamper with files and folders inside.
