In Europe this is often attributed to American cultural imperialism.
TV, at least in The Netherlands, has become a lot more prudish, Music censored, etc.
I've worked (in the internet branches of) Dutch National media organizations, for magazines and publishers. All lament, that "back in the days, a pair of its, or a penis flopping through a scene was normal." All due to American influence. It's certainly not imposed top down.
A dutch beach club owner told me it used to be rather normal for women to be topless on the beach, up to the early 2000s. And that nowadays it's almost unheard of.
I don't know how else to say this, but American institutions, and Americans, are profoundly uninterested in what nudity taboos you may or may not have over there. American tourists might care, if they're looking to see some tits on a beach.
Have you at least considered the possibility that Europe has its own prudes?
They may be uninterested and unaware and yet very powerful in propagating their own hangups all over the place. For example through movie and TV production. For example through movie, TV and video distribution. For example through legal models and specific texts. For example through organizations active in the hangup propagation business (so, they are certainly not ALL uninterested). For example through credit card networks and banking. And it goes on and on. I nearly forgot to mention technology companies and (currently) their "app" markets.
Some countries like the UK seem to be ahead of the pack in the hangup department but they also don't have the global footprint / influence that the US have.
And, not to forget, the all-powerfull tech monopolies. E.g. Facebook and Instagram have a very US -centric idea of what content is allowed. Nudity, not even a hint of a nipple, is banned. Youtube is rather similar.
And generations are influenced by social media. They will form (at least a part of) their world views, values, behaviours from social media.
Another reason why it's such a d*mn shame that Europe doesn't manage to keep it's own tech giants that could compete with the US ones.
The fact that (for the most part) 2 American credit card companies determine what porn people can and cannot watch on-line world-wide is an embodiment of this very problem.
I specifically said "American Cultural Imperialism" and mentioned "bottom up". So there's absolutely no US institute that would be even remotely interested in what people on a Dutch beach wear or how much boobs there are in a French movie shown in a French home.
It's the general "way of life" and "culture" that is exported, embraced and then lived by. Making new generations "more American" and therefore, also more prude. At least, that's the idea.
Not just more prude but shifting it. In the past it was normal to see naked people at the beach or changing rooms. Now that's been stamped out, but porn is massive. The only naked people the majority see are porn actors.
TV, at least in The Netherlands, has become a lot more prudish, Music censored, etc.
I've worked (in the internet branches of) Dutch National media organizations, for magazines and publishers. All lament, that "back in the days, a pair of its, or a penis flopping through a scene was normal." All due to American influence. It's certainly not imposed top down.
A dutch beach club owner told me it used to be rather normal for women to be topless on the beach, up to the early 2000s. And that nowadays it's almost unheard of.