It's been around for years, out of principle when I get a new phone, I pop on a zip-bomb of two out of principle against anybody scraping my phone in any capaci

It's been around for years, out of principle when I get a new phone, I pop on a zip-bomb of two out of principle against anybody scraping my phone in any capacity without my direct approval - then I'd tell them. Though those truly paranoid - there are many ways to curtail such actions, re-wire the USB lines demanding you use a equally rewired USB cable and many other avenues. But back to the police - what irks me is that whilst they can pull all this data - it is futile unless they use it. Alas the level of data-mining is very much lacking here - unless however it is related to a headline case and then the full PR budgets kick in and the real policing happens (cynical I know, but based upon decades of observations, that are equally shared amongst people in the force I know). The real thing many overlook is that UK laws are already in place that telco providers have to keep copies of all calls made and text messages for many years (3 iirc at least). However, things change and it is how long they retain such images of phones content that makes things concerning. After all, laws change and what was legal yesterday, probably won't be tomorrow. But more so - perception and interpretation. As an example the fad of planking could be classed foul of many a law in most situations if zealously applied it could be classed as a performance and as that fun planking video in the local park needed a performance license from the local authority. Then lottoiring laws and many others that came in to curtail real issues but.....if social perception changes could render innocent and well mannered acts foul of legal redress down the line due to cultural change. But been many a innocent fad, all harmless and an edge-case accident happens so that fad then becomes demonised. That happens. But with social media and other snapshots of your life moments via your phone immortalized. Whilst the spirit of the law is more important than the letter of the law, that spirit over time can change and yet facts do not and afford reinterpretation at a later time of the event. That end up recontextualizing it all and some innocent, totally harmless and socially acceptable action of the time could become antisocial tomorrow. Cigerrettes - classic upon that, and who knows, maybe in a few hundred years time, pictures of this era of people smoking will garner cries of murderer in future minds and classed as terrorist poisoners murdering the innocent around them with their polluting weapons of mass destruction. So yes, how long they retain it - would be the real concern about all this.