Perhaps because said liberal democracies are known to spy on that someone more than Iran, North Korea and China combined.
That's an absolutely ridiculous and ignorant statement.
Downvote me all you want, but it doesn't make you right. It just goes to show your own lack of knowledge regarding the intelligence efforts in support of social control in totalitarian states.
To keep said liberal democracy honest?
Iran, a brutal theocratic dictatorship is going to keep a liberal democracy honest? You've got to be kidding me...