I think the slide towards control rather than freedom on the internet is more subtle than that.

   1. Increased centralization (FAANG et al.)
   2. Larger tech entities willing (and able) to strike deals with government in exchange for favors
   3. All governments always wanting more power over citizens
   4. Today

This isn't a left vs right thing, as both sides have come up with kooky internet-control schemes.

It's a 'centralization breeds coercion' thing.

The antidote to that is decentralization (especially breaking up large firms) and an individual right to privacy (including the technical methods to ensure it).

Imagine DeCSS today! Facebook and Google and Microsoft and Apple would get calls, then Anthropic and OpenAI, and the key would be wiped off large portions of the internet.