People in Brazil flocked to the best VPN services this weekend to keep access to X (formerly known as Twitter). Now they risk fines of up to nearly $9,000 per day if they choose to circumvent the government-imposed restriction.
On Friday evening, August 30, Brazilian Supreme Court Minister Alexandre de Moraes not only issued a suspension order to X for failing to appoint a local legal representative as required by Brazilian law. He went a step further and criminalized the use of VPNs to circumvent such restrictions.
“At this point, it seems difficult to imagine how the Brazilian government’s proposed fines for people using VPNs to access X could be implemented from a technical standpoint,” Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, spokesperson for leading VPN Surfshark, told me. “Especially considering that it’s one of the first restrictions of this kind in the history of internet restrictions.”
Despite the prospect of huge fines, citizens and visitors have flocked to VPN services. Two VPNs – NordVPN and Proton VPN – are reportedly the top applications in the Utilities category in the Brazilian Apple App Store.
The latter confirmed a spike in registrations of 1840% above normal levels over the weekend – even bigger than the spike in VPN usage recorded in April, when people began preparing for the worst.
“This increase underscores how people in Brazil are turning to the most secure VPN services to maintain access to vital communications channels,” David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, told me.
There is a growing interest in VPNs across the industry. Experts at VPNMentor also recorded a spike in demand of 469% in the very first hours after the lockdown, which rose to 1600% the next day on August 31.
This is because a VPN (virtual private network) is a security software that not only encrypts your internet connections, but can also spoof your IP address location. By making you look like you’re browsing outside of Brazil in an instant, you can continue using X despite the blockade. Exactly what Moraes wants to prevent.
Brazil controversial X ban
The X ban is the result of a months-long censorship row centered around Brazilian judge De Moraes and X’s owner, Elon Musk.
It all started in early April with X’s global government affairs team complaining that a Brazilian court ordered the company to block certain accounts. The team shared its intention to legally challenge these orders, which reportedly do not comply with Brazilian laws, and vowed to uphold the freedom of expression of citizens “regardless of their political beliefs.”
About an hour later, Musk confirmed that he had lifted these restrictions, despite threats of hefty fines, possible arrest of X’s employees, and a ban on social media. “As a result, we will likely lose all revenue in Brazil and will have to close our office there. But principles are more important than profits,” he wroteIn another tweethe also called for the judge’s resignation or impeachment. A day later, Moraes officially opened an investigation into Musk’s conduct.
The official decision to close X’s Brazilian office came on August 17th. At that time, there were reports that some VPN services had disappeared from the local Apple App Store. A week later, the ultimatum was delivered: X was given a 24-hour deadline on Wednesday, August 18th to appoint a local legal representative, as required by law. The social media giant refused, and the rest is history.
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According to Surfshark’s findings, 37 countries have banned X since 2015—either temporarily or permanently—affecting more than 3 billion people worldwide. “What’s most concerning is that most of these cases are related to political unrest, which raises many questions about the intent behind such communication restrictions on social media apps,” Surfshark spokesperson Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske told me.
As Surfshark’s Racaityte-Krasauske noted, “Any measures that restrict people’s freedom of expression are worrying.”
Yet, in what the New York Times deemed De Moraes called it a “highly unusual measure” and also said that anyone in Brazil who uses a circumvention tool such as a VPN app to access X could face a fine of almost $8,900 per day.
This amount is quite significant, considering that Brazil’s GDP per capita currently stands at $11,350. Not surprisingly, the decision was met with fierce criticism from all sides.
In a memo to the Supreme Court issued on Saturday – the Financial Times reported – the Brazilian Bar Association wrote: “The application of a daily fine to individuals and legal entities in a broad and generalized manner constitutes a serious violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.”
Proton VPN’s Peterson also sees the government’s decision as a “significant infringement” on people’s digital rights and freedoms.
The Need for No-Log VPNs
At the time of writing, it is not yet clear how Brazil’s Supreme Court would implement its threat and impose fines on people using a VPN to access X. Technically, it seems like a pretty daunting task.
Nevertheless, Proton VPN’s Peterson believes that using a reliable no-log VPN is crucial to ensuring that online activity cannot be traced back to the user. This is because while some logs of basic data such as the number of users connecting to the same server and the email address associated with a user’s account are inevitable, a no-log VPN ensures that no personal information or usage data is ever collected that can be linked back to you or your activities.
“Proton VPN does not log user activity, so even if authorities tried to fine users for accessing specific content through a VPN, we would have no data to provide,” Peterson explained. “Enforcing such fines would be technically challenging due to the strong privacy protections that Proton VPN offers.”
At the same time, it’s important to keep in mind that even the most private VPN can’t protect you if you post to your social media feed under your own name and photo.
That’s why Peterson recommends not using your real name, photo, or other personal information in public profiles or posts. “This can help protect your identity and reduce the risk of being targeted for your online activity. Being aware of what you share and how you present yourself online is essential to maintaining your privacy and safety,” he added.
This promo code gives you 30GB of free data per month if you happen to be in Brazil: FUXANDAOTo avoid paying the fine, create an anonymous X account. If you’re extra paranoid, see pic.twitter.com/N9iBybv8DkSeptember 1, 2024
I also recommend downloading as many VPN apps as possible in case a service stops working. Blocking VPN traffic is a common strategy used by authorities to prevent citizens from using a VPN to circumvent government-imposed online censorship.
Be careful though, as freebies are often not safe to use. Check out our dedicated page on the best free VPNs on the market to find the safest and most reliable apps – Privado VPN and Proton VPN are our top picks at the moment.
Some providers also offer free data plans to people who are currently using a VPN in Brazil. Windscribe (see tweet above) is giving away 30GB of free data per month, and Tunnel Bear 10 GB if you are connecting from Brazil.
At the same time, if you want to be extra safe, I recommend using Tor Browser instead of or in conjunction with a VPN to unblock X. Tor is completely free to use and offers an even higher level of security by routing your internet connections (and data in transit) through at least three layers of encryption. Be aware, however, that this enhanced encryption can significantly slow down your connection speed.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational use. For example:
1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).
2. Protect your online security and strengthen your online privacy abroad.
We do not support or tolerate the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. The consumption of paid pirate content is not endorsed or approved by Future Publishing.
