Eli5: how exactly can companies enforce non-compete contracts? How is it their business what company you go to, and how would they even know?
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In most countries, non-competes are difficult to enforce if not outright impossible. Typically a company needs to be able to prove there is a specific and reasonable reason for preventing you from working for a competitor, which in most cases would be better charged under other laws anyway like information theft. Its inclusion in contracts is usually intended more as a scare tactic or to cover their bases than to actually prevent you working for a competitor. But you would need to get real legal advice for any specific case (cause you never know).
The main exception in the west is France where they are fully enforceable, however they are required to provide compensation (often 20-40% annual salary) if they choose to enforce the non-compete.
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