The Stasi network was infamous because of how enormous it was, not its mere existence. And it likely had a crippling effect on their economy. They were also drowning in information, and the information was very poor because anyone with a bone to pick just made up some bullshit about the other person.

Today, tools created by US intelligence make the data collection trivial, but more importantly, the data analysis is trivial as well.

> the data analysis is trivial as well

We have no evidence of this.

The amusing thing was that political prisoners became a money making scheme. The DDR sold dissidents to West Germany.

Ofcourse it was mostly the educated elite who wanted out so it still ended up sinking the communist regime long term.