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The NSA doesn't need to illegally spy on Americans when an ally can do it for them and then share the data legally.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukusa/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Eyes

That's not really how it works. Sure, it is also a way to circumvent such local legislature, but for that to work American allies would need to run actual surveillance structures in the US mainland proper out in the open..

You know, like the US does in the countries of it's "allies" like Germany [0]

Do you really think the US would allow German intelligence agencies to build whole complexes, plugged right into the US's largest IPX?

That's why this situation is not nearly as "symbiotic" as it's often made out to be. At best that applies to Five Eyes countries, and even there only to a very limited degree as no Five Eyes member as as much foreign presence as the US.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECHELON#Examples_of_industrial...

To this rhetorical question, a resounding “yes” answer. There is credible suggestion that GCHQ has been invited to operate US facilities on US soil for this explicit purpose.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/aug/01/nsa-paid-gch...

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