VPN demand rises in Brazil after X is banned across the country

De Moraes, in his decree ordering the social media site to cease operations in the country, said X will remain banned in Brazil until the company complies with his order to appoint a legal representative in the country to respond to government requests suspension of accounts on the platform. It also threatened Brazilians with daily fines of 50,000 reais ($8,900) if individuals or companies use VPNs to avoid the ban — more than the average Brazilian earns in a year, according to The New York Times.

Even despite the potential hefty fines, demand for VPNs has grown in the country by as much as 1,600 percent, according to an analysis by VPNMentor, which helps people find and use VPNs to protect their online privacy.

Alternatives to X, such as Bluesky and Threads, also saw an increase in new users. Bluesky has seen more than 500,000 new users in the past few days, and the company reported “new activity highs” on the platform. Threads has also seen an influx of new users. X Alternatives were the first and second most downloaded iPhone apps in the country over the weekend.

Although the site is not as popular in the country as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok, average Brazilians said that without X, they feel disconnected from the rest of the world, the Associated Press reported. Others worry that the ban is oppressive and hypocritical, given de Moraes’ goal of combating authoritarian extremism in the country.

“I’ve used VPNs a lot in authoritarian countries like China to continue accessing news sites and social networks,” Maurício Santoro, political science professor at Rio de Janeiro State University, said in a post on X before the blockade enters. effect, according to an AP translation. “It never occurred to me that this type of instrument would be banned in Brazil. It’s dystopian.”

X representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.