Some people want this. Other people want mass surveillance. Conveniently, they are aligned! The mass surveillance people will shoot down any version of age verification that doesn't also allow mass surveillance.
Not just exempting themselves, but actively building and deploying end-to-end encrypted chat apps for gov only use with (non)retention and (un)transparancy fully under their own control. Tbf, we're still waiting for Von Der Leyen's SMS's, and that was not even on such an app. Some can just ignore the law without repercussions.
"Maybe I'm naive, but I think there's no deeper motivation."
Maybe you are not naive. Maybe you are correct
This "real reason for age verification" trope might be just another braindead meme or conspiracy theory
No evidence has been presented to support what these commenters are suggesting
It stands to reeason that anyone who is truly concerned about "connect[ing] real-life identifiers to online activity" would be distancing themselves from using corporate-controlled mobile operating systems like Android or iOS, as opposed to thinking, something like, "I've got a good thing going here with Android and/or iOS and age verification is going to ruin it"
Maybe I'm naive, but I think there's no deeper motivation. There are activists and politicians who really believe this is a cause worth fighting for.