this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2025
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It's because of the power imbalance. If a private entity decides LGBT content is inappropriate for kids, you can find something on the fringe because someone will fill that gap. If a government makes the same decision, they can prosecute any service that doesn't follow the law, which chills smaller services from offering it.

On the flipside, if a large tech company does it, it affects nearly everyone on the planet, whereas if a government does it, it should only impact people in that country. However, with larger countries, impacts often bleed into other countries (e.g. I see EU cookie banners in the US).

Likewise, it's less likely for a government to rescind a bad law, whereas a bad policy can be easily reversed if it hurts profits.