Inside a smoky room...
"Okay, we have access to their communications online, but these sneaky citizens can still communicate privately in their homes. Any ideas?"
"What if we make our listening devices have some kind of utility and people will then willingly buy them and put them in their houses?"
"I know smart phones had enough features to make people carry around our bugs, but what would we have to offer to get people to have this constantly on in their homes?"
"How about we let them look up the weather and start and stop music, by talking to it?"
And that's how the west was lost.