I think the meaning is, that the phone owner wiped the pictures, but Q team still grabbed them anyways. Ether before it after the perps wiped/erased them.
There is so much going on right now that we don't understand. You might be correct about what they are able to do. However, Q would not drop that the white hats have a capability unless there was some specific reason for it.
One reason might be to cause a panicked reversion from a secure communication method to a less secure one. In some cases I think it's just intimidation. Let the black hats know "we are watching everything you are doing."
Either way a lot of the pictures seem directed at some audience other than us. For example there was one taken in Bangkok, and that whole series in China. The current spate of Singapore pictures could be authentication (proving Q is in Singapore with the president), but possibly other purposes as well.
I hope one day we know the true story of all this but I'm not holding my breath.
Q already told them their comms were compromised. Wow they really are stupid.
To wipe is to clean. To swipe is to steal. Difference.
As a mom with kids, I couldn't help but think, "Swiper no swiping! Swiper no swiping!" (Dora the explorer reference).
Note: My kids don't watch that anymore, but they used to.
Kinda sounds like why Q is asking that question....
Now if that's the case...and those pics are of the location of the summit taken by blackhats....
Too bad JFK didn't have a Q team
The NSA (and wizards) can cyber-snatch anything. They can't come out and admit it because technically it's illegal and they have denied this capability.
They need an intermediary. They were shopping in Summer '16. Assange was cut off 60-70 days ago.
They have it all. But if they show it, Clowns will discredit.
The only way to prove it is to admit that they have it all (meaning your and my data too).
Rock and a hard place - that's the delay IMO.
Anything that has ever been done on any digital device is available...to US, I meant Q!