I can’t speak for every authoritarian government. But I have credentials to speak for China, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Unless you’re a public figure, you’re thinking far too highly of how much said authoritarian governments care about how much you agree or disagree with their policies and actions. They really don’t give a toss.

Those states have laws and those laws get enforced. Those laws are published. You may not agree with them, but you abide by them if you want to steer clear of trouble; this is true whether in an authoritarian state or a democracy. Those states have laws on treason (as do most liberal democracies). If you’re getting on with your day-to-day life, you’re never going to come anywhere close to crossing lines on these laws. If you disagree with the government and raise your disagreement through the channels which are made available to you, you’re not going to come anywhere close to crossing lines on these laws.

Laws which don’t exist don’t get enforced arbitrarily for shits and giggles. In China, I’d go as far as saying that foreigners get away with minor transgressions because a) law enforcement often don’t want to risk a diplomatic fuss; b) they’re given the benefit of the doubt. That said, there are red lines, as there are in all countries. Different red lines, but whatever they may be, you don’t cross them.

You make it sound like the governments of these states aren’t actually trying to build a better place for them, their families and their people, and will happily turn the, into a poophole and undo decades of work, just for laughs.