So back during the Cold War the East German puppet government and Soviet Union feared "evil capitalists". Often The East German government tapped the phones of West German citizens who entered Berlin. Everyone who lived in East Berlin was documented by the East German gov. If the government didn't like you, then chances are you would either being sent to the gulag, shot, arrested indefinitely.
At the time American Propaganda was like "Look at those Soviets, they are an evil empire". Well look at the US and UK today, they are now starting to do the same stuff the Soviets did as far as mass surveillance goes. Also NDAA