No, let's not place their stated motives aside and presume their premise is simply misguided. Their premise is full bologna and a palpable excuse for the uneducated.

From the article: "...But if their purpose is to protect us, why worry?..."

If their motives were that genuine and honest, why are they not freeing American girls or otherwise from slavery? arresting cartel leaders or crooked politicians or perhaps crushing insider trading?

The answer is that the NSA/CIA/FBI and all the other "alphabet soup" agencies fear the public at large and are scared and want to protect themselves and their institutions only.

I know I over-simplified but the last nation to do this was the Soviet Union and they feared their public too.