[ls612]

It would be very difficult.

Let me give you an example. This whole age verification thing has been going around for a while, at least since 2023 when the brits passsed the OSA. The EU actually had a political bloc that was worried that age verification would become ID verification de facto and so developed a ZKP system to cryptographically prove "User is over 16" without disclosing ID. This would be a solution that would likely be mostly acceptable to people on this site. In response to this technology being developed, Macron has come out and said that any free speech without government moderation (aka censorship) is "bullshit" and Merz said this week that every person online needed a real name attached to their profile and that there would be "consequences" for speech. They realized that a solution to the "think of the kids" pretext is close to being ready so they moved the goalposts so that they could continue to push for the Chinese system they really want.

I'm in the US so I don't have a direct stake in this and I expect the first amendment will at least significantly slow similar nonsense from coming to this side of the pond but I am perfectly capable of seeing where the equilibrium is going.

[kelseyfrog]

The people we're talking about here are the citizens of the EU?

[ls612]

Yeah my example is all EU.