@theorytoe like anything it takes a variable amount of time for different people to notice things, owing to how absorbed in life they are (particularly if there's a layer of propaganda to try to keep it under wraps). Obviously it's going to take longer to notice something like this if you're at a stressful job or busy with kids, so usually it's a combination of boomers with free time (conspiritards) and young people with free time (technopunks) who will notice first, and more people will filter in as the problem gets worse. Which is exactly what you see with this problem historically speaking

although one would hope snowden would've made a bigger impact, I think most of what he did is prime the next generation of young people to watch out for it. I'm not sure you would've seen this level of outrage and active resistance in young people if not for snowden