The biggest problem is that the law is often quite moralistic and frequently influenced by people with hidden agendas. Almost everyone violates the law at some

The biggest problem is that the law is often quite moralistic and frequently influenced by people with hidden agendas. Almost everyone violates the law at some point or other, and the biggest concern is that with unfettered surveillance the only thing stopping the book being thrown at you is a lack of will. Don't assume just because you believe that you're innocent you actually are in the eyes of the law. Saying that, I think the process they used here is a good one. If there was some sort of guarantee that the data collected for this search would be deleted (and not left, free for any bored policeman to delve into at any point in the future) then I'd have no issue with this type of investigation. The people they caught were committing potentially violent crimes. A little bit of privacy violation is definitely worth stopping them before they actually hurt someone.