Funding digital infrastructure through state sponsorship is hard. Because the industry moves fast and politics does not.. nor is politics particularly efficient, they just can't be experts on everything.

Sponsoring large research projects might go along way though.

> Governments want to control their populace.

That's a pretty broad statement :)

In my country we have free speech, and the state/government protects freedom of speech.

Similarly, my government tend to promote human rights. I think that can still be said about the US too.

No governments aren't perfect, but control is not their major concern.