I think the way this thread went is a perfect illustration of why people just "don't want it" - you started off talking about alternatives that were anonymous, and now you're talking about digital ID for "security" or even UX. Because that's how things have gone in practice.
Privacy-respecting, free, even technically superior options are regularly overlooked in favor of invasive and locked down options. See how often phone 2FA is forced "for security" when generic TOTP authenticators or passkeys could do better. Also see how specifications around passkeys are being set up to eventually squeeze out free implementations in favor of Google and Apple.
Age verification is by definition not anonymous, so I could not start talking about such alternatives. Someone somewhere needs to know that you are you and your age, even in ZKP. Digital ID is the most sane way to build things today, so the real choice is in how it is implemented. And the discussion should be about that, not how we can stay back in the cave age.
Privacy-respecting, free, even technically superior options are regularly overlooked in favor of invasive and locked down options. See how often phone 2FA is forced "for security" when generic TOTP authenticators or passkeys could do better. Also see how specifications around passkeys are being set up to eventually squeeze out free implementations in favor of Google and Apple.