Brazil’s enforcement of its ban on Elon Musk’s social media platform X, through fines for using VPNs, has raised concerns among free speech and privacy activists. Last month, Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ordered all telecom providers in the country to block access to X due to posts the judge described as misinformation. The judge imposed daily fines of $8,900 for anyone caught bypassing the ban using VPNs. While Brazil lacks advanced censorship infrastructure like China or Russia, experts believe this move signals a new level of digital enforcement that could inspire similar actions in other countries.
Since the introduction of the penalty, there has been a documented decrease in attempts to access X. However, it is unclear whether Brazilian congressmen who continue using X are doing so with VPNs. The country’s National Association of Journalists (ANJ) expressed concerns about reporters no longer having access to news reports from various sources.
According to a spokesman from the U.S. nonprofit Unredacted, it will be up to Brazilian telecom firms and internet service providers (ISPs) to enforce the bans. So far, there have been no reports of individuals or companies being notified by Brazil’s National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) about VPN usage.
Brazil blocks X through DNS and IP blocking methods. DNS blocking prevents the website from being found while IP blocking stops all traffic to the website’s server. Data from the Open Observatory of Network Interference shows a significant drop in access to X in Brazil since the Supreme Court order.
The Unredacted spokesman explained that VPN usage surveillance depends on whether telecom companies or ISPs are monitoring and reporting it to the government. In countries like China where there is a close relationship between telecoms and the government, VPN monitoring often happens automatically.
Toby Young from The Free Speech Union believes that VPNs are becoming a new battleground for internet freedom and regulation globally. The U.S faith-based legal advocacy organization Alliance Defending Freedom International warned that if Brazil continues its oppressive censorship culture, other countries across the West could follow suit.
Tracking VPN usage is complex as these bans can be inconsistent and difficult to enforce according to Laura Tyrylyte from Nord Security (NordVPN). She added that VPNs generally protect user activity and origin making it challenging for authorities unless there are technical slip-ups in their service.
The fines announced by Brazil for VPN usage have led users hesitatingly use them due to potential repercussions on their decision-making process.
