Britain has been in love with this idea for decades at this point. It's not a surprise 1984 was British.

But yes in the last ~20 years are so it's somehow become a top EU goal as well.

3-in-5 british people supported the Online Safety Act (age verification) https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GxxNnMsWUAALm75?format=jpg&name=...

Far more people strongly support it than strongly oppose

The idea it's being done in spite of the public doesn't seem to track with reality. You also don't have to look very hard on social media to find lots of British people supporting strong government policing of the internet.

	▲	tick_tock_tick a day ago \| parent [-]
		I don't think I really implied the people of the UK didn't want it? The UK and most of Europe seemingly love the government policing their speech even in private communications. The concept of free expression basically doesn't exist in most of the UK/EU today and that's scary.