I wasn't implying dumb or incompetent criminals don't exist. As you said, they do exist, and they do sometimes cross borders with ridiculously incriminating dat

I wasn't implying dumb or incompetent criminals don't exist. As you said, they do exist, and they do sometimes cross borders with ridiculously incriminating data in their possession. My point was, I fail to see why such people can't be brought to justice via methods that don't involve shredding travelers' personal freedoms, the vast majority of whom are completely innocent. Policies often have to strike a balance between positive and negative effects. When the negative greatly exceeds the positive, then the legitimacy of the policy should be called into question, even if the policy is effective at achieving its stated goal. Data can be an extremely personal thing, and rummaging through it or storing it indefinitely, without any cause whatsoever, should be an embarrassment to any Western democracy that engages in the practice.