Burnable gomi
The comparison you draw between the US and countries like Saudi and China is not appropriate.
US Laws are made by a majority vote by people elected by "the people". In the US the laws also have to comply with the Constitution and citizen's have redress to the Judicary. Ultimately, the citizens have the right to protest. So in the US laws are made with various checks and balances. In China and Saudi there are no such checks and balances.
All countries have secrets and apparatuses to protect those secrets. Snowden and his ilk believe that it is down to each of those individuals in the security apparatus to decide what is secret and what is really public information. All the check and balances are secondary to their views.
Countries spy on each other..... Gosh......A country's infrastructure, including its Internet, is of military interest to other countries..... Gosh. It's been going on for centuries as have turncoats and traitors.