I have certainly noticed this as well, even among my group of friends/associates. Both the Progressive and Conservative sides (which together make up a heavy majority of political opinion in the US) seem to be favoring regulation, and in some cases heavy regulation. They may have different reasons, but at the end of the day I don't see how you avoid the government clamp-down given the emerging political climate. I'm generally against regulation myself, but even I am wondering if it isn't needed.
It's amazing how the political elite are realizing they don't have complete control of every step of the process. It's almost as if they are reacting out of fear of these tech companies and their ability to influence law making in the same way that other more traditional industries have been for decades.
Fear of AI could be a factor too, though the article doesn't talk about it. Politicians must be seeing the AI hype and paranoia in the media and wondering how they can ensure they stay on top of it and use to their ends.