People in Brazil have turned en masse to the best VPN services over the weekend to maintain access to X (formerly known as Twitter). Now, they risk fines of up to nearly $9,000 a day if they choose to bypass the government-imposed restriction.
Late on Friday, August 30, the Minister of the Brazilian Supreme Federal Court, Alexandre de Moraes did not just issue a suspension order for X for failing to appoint a local legal representative as required by Brazilian laws. He went a step further and criminalized the use of VPNs to bypass such restrictions.
"At the moment, it seems difficult to imagine how the Brazilian government's proposed fines on 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 is one of the first limitations 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 on the Brazilian Apple App Store.
The latter confirmed a spike in signups of 1840% above normal levels over the weekend – even greater than the spike in VPN usage recorded back in April as people began getting ready for the worst.
"This surge underscores how individuals in Brazil are turning to the most secure VPN services to maintain access to vital communication channels," David Peterson, General Manager at Proton VPN, told me.
Increased interest in VPNs is widespread across the industry. Experts at VPNMentor also registered a spike in demand of 469% in the very first hours after the block, reaching 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 from outside Brazil in no time, it allows you to keep accessing X despite the blockade. Exactly what de Moraes seeks to prevent.
Brazil controversial X ban
The X ban order is the culmination of a month-long censorship row which has centered around Brazilian Judge de Moraes and X's owner Elon Musk.
It all began at the beginning of April with the X's global government affairs team lamenting that a Brazilian Court ordered the company to block certain accounts. The team shared its intention to legally challenge these orders as they are believed to not be in accordance with Brazilian laws, vowing for citizens' freedom of speech "regardless of their political beliefs."
About an hour after that, Musk confirmed to have lifted these restrictions despite being threatened with hefty fines, possible arrest of X's employees, and a social media ban. "As a result, we will probably lose all revenue in Brazil and have to shut down our office there. But principles matter more than profit," he wrote. In another tweet, he also called for the judge to resign or be impeached. A day later, de Moraes officially opened an inquiry into Musk's conduct.
The official decision to shut down X's Brazilian office came on August 17. At that time, there were reports that some VPN services disappeared from the local Apple App Store. A week later, the ultimatum: X was given a 24-hour deadline on Wednesday, August 18, to appoint a local legal representative as required by law. The social media giant refused and the rest is history.
As per Surfshark's findings, 37 countries have banned X since 2015 – either temporarily or permanently – affecting over 3 billion people globally. "What is most concerning is that the majority of these cases are related to political turmoil, raising many questions about the intent behind such communication limitations on social media apps," Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, Surfshark's spokesperson, told me.
As Racaityte-Krasauske from Surfshark pointed out: "Any moves seeking to limit people's freedom of speech are worrying."
Yet, in what the New York Times deemed as a "highly unusual move," de Moraes also said that any person in Brazil using a circumvention tool like a VPN app to access X could be fined nearly $8,900 a day.
This sum is quite significant considering that Brazil's GDP per capita is currently $11,350. It's not so surprising that the decision was welcomed with strong criticism from all sides.
In a note 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 represents a serious affront to the fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution."
Peterson from Proton VPN also sees the government's decision as a "significant infringement" on people's digital rights and freedoms.
The need for no-logs VPNs
At the time of writing is not clear how the Brazilian Supreme Court could implement its threat and issue fines against people using a VPN to access X. Technically speaking ,it looks like a pretty difficult task.
Nonetheless, Peterson from Proton VPN believes that using a trustworthy no-log VPN is crucial to ensure that online activities cannot be traced back to the user. This is because, while some logs of basic data like 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 guarantees that no personal information or usage data linked to you or your activities is ever collected.
"Proton VPN does not log any user activity, so even if authorities attempt to fine users for accessing specific content via a VPN, we have no data to provide," Peterson explained. "Enforcing such fines would be technically challenging due to the strong privacy protections Proton VPN offers."
At the same time, though, it's important to bear in mind that not even the most private VPN can protect you if you are posting under your social media feed under your name and picture.
This is why Peterson suggests avoiding using your real name, photo, or other personal details in public profiles or posts. "This can help protect your identity and reduce the risk of being targeted for your online activities. Being mindful of what you share and how you present yourself online is key to maintaining your privacy and security," 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, make an anonymous X account. If you're extra paranoid, see https://t.co/Ypf4AdXhqz pic.twitter.com/N9iBybv8DkSeptember 1, 2024
I also recommend getting as many VPN apps as possible in case one service stops working. Blocking VPN traffic is a much more common strategy that authorities employ to prevent citizens from using a VPN to bypass government-imposed online censorship.
Be careful, though, as freebies aren't often safe to use. You should check our dedicated page of the best free VPNs on the market to get the most secure and reliable apps – Privado VPN and Proton VPN are our top choices at the moment.
Some providers are also offering free data allowance to people using a VPN in Brazil right now. Windscribe (see tweet above) is giving away 30 GB of free data per month, and Tunnelbear 10 GB if you are connecting from Brazil.
At the same time, if you want to be extra secure, I suggest using Tor Browser instead of or combined with a VPN to unblock X. Tor is completely free to use and offers an even higher level of security by rerouting your internet connections (and data in transit) through at least three encrypted layers. Keep in mind that this boosted encryption, however, can considerably slow down your connection speed.
