> Why is this an international movement? Suddenly, simultaneously, all over the Western world?

Sometimes kids hurt themselves through the use of the internet. And their parents lash out to blame someone [0]. And mainstream media pick up these stories. And the worry spreads. And more and more adults of voting age say that yeah, it's only reasonable to protect the kids from that internet monster, because kids are trusting and vulnerable, and won't somebody please think of the children. And they do not push back against age restriction campaigns. And so it goes...

As for the Western world, it generally moves in lockstep, doesn't it?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0024x58

So where are those big protests and public calls for online age verification? It all seems to be coming from the very top. I have not heard of anyone that actually want any of this. The fact that politicians are to be excluded from European regulations is only a proof that it's all a scheme to kill what remains of privacy and freedom of speech online.