In the US, once RVSM was implemented in 2005, it was (and still is) illegal to request or accept a clearance into RVSM airspace unless both the plane and pilot were authorized. The ONLY exceptions were (and are) military and foreign government flights, aircraft climbing to and descending from FL 430 or above or aircraft in emergency situations.
So at least in the US, the rules have not been tightened, they never allowed 'normal' non-RVSM aircraft into RVSM airspace.