Did you know the Chofetz Chaim would learn by candlelight and refused to learn by electric light
Source? (Or is this a well-known thing I’d never heard of?
Of course the bans helped. Just because some people violate them doesn’t mean it didn’t help the very many people who adhere to them.
The real question is whether a formal ban was necessary to
get the people who obey the ban not to have whatever it is.
In case you didn’t know, the internet is kulo tamey!
… Something kadosh will not go on something tamey.
Unless you’re calling all the Torah currently on the Internet
“not something kadosh,” I’d say you’re demonstrably wrong.