[horsemessiah]

Could the U.S. govt not subpoena a U.S. company for information, giving them the same power people are worried about China having?

[seanmcdirmid]

They can, but since they have to go through the courts, the process is much more difficult and there are more opportunities for someone (like the media) to find out about it.

It isn't binary, the powers would never be the same even if they sound similar.

[sudosysgen]

Do the FISA courts or National Security Letters count as an open court with opportunity for the media to find out about it?

What if the US State Department uses PRISM or a related program instead?