Spain grabs data, too
>Spain has ETA
>[they] have found out the way to deal with terrorism is [...] not random data grabs
Spaniard here.
Police is allowed to grab your NIC card, compulsory in Spain, with data such as birthday or parents' names. They can do it anytime, anywhere and without any reason at all. If you're a foreigner, they'll ask your for the passport or any identity document valid in Schengen area. They can, and do take note of all this data. They routinely do this in near-border areas, not only the Basque Country (for ETA) but Catalonia too, and almost for every train arriving at Irun and Portbou border stations from France.
Also, if you stay at night in a hotel, hostel, camping or whatever, you'll need to leave your personal data to the local staff to be handed to police officers, who will collect this data and let them know where you are spending your holidays.
AC, although risking a detention for using the terrorist cyberweapon of a Guy Fawkes's mask.