150% VPN Spike in Brazil Following X's Local Headquarters Closure

VpnMentor's Research Team encountered a 151% surge in VPN usage in Brazil following the announcement of X, formerly Twitter, closing operations in the country. Musk made the decision public on Saturday, citing alleged threats made by judge Alexandre de Moraes against members of X’s staff as the reason behind the shutdown.

What’s important to know:

• In April 2024, tension between Musk and Moraes escalated when X's global government affairs page revealed the platform had to block specific accounts in Brazil. According to the post, this move was part of an investigation into "digital militias" spreading disinformation, but there was no clarity on which posts violated Brazilian law.

• Although forbidden to disclose the specific court or judge issuing the orders, Musk directly confronted Moraes in a later post, disclosing that X was directed to suspend active members of Brazil's parliament and notable journalists, purportedly following X's internal rules.

• Musk criticized the legal directives as "the most draconian demands of any country" and called for Moraes' resignation. Musk claimed that Moraes had levied significant fines on X and warned of potential revenue loss in Brazil, alluding to the possibility of closing X's office in the country.

• In response to Musk's declaration that he would reinstate the accounts in question, Moraes included Musk in an investigation of X, accusing him of obstruction of justice and incitement to crime. X's government affairs page posted other blocking orders issued by Moraes and stated on Saturday that it had lodged several appeals with Brazil's Supreme Court concerning the orders.

• After Moraes allegedly threatened to arrest one of X’s lawyers, Musk decided to close down the company’s headquarters in the country. Even though the local office is shutting down, the platform is intended to still be available to people in Brazil.

Despite the service continuing to operate in Brazil, the circumstances have led to a rise in VPN requests within the country. VpnMentor’s Research Team identified a significant uptick in VPN demand following Musk's announcement. The heightened demand began promptly on Saturday and continued to escalate, peaking at 151% on Sunday 18th.

The standoff between Musk and Moraes highlights broader concerns regarding freedom of speech, censorship, and governmental influence over digital platforms. Musk's outspoken resistance against what he views as unfair demands from Brazilian authorities has shed light on the challenges of operating within varying regulatory landscapes. ProtonVPN calling out Apple for the difficulties Brazilian users experience while attempting to download VPNs from the App Store further adds to this narrative. Simone Magliano, Head of Research at Top10VPN, compiled a list of VPNs that are currently unavailable or experiencing download problems in the iOS App Store and also the ones that are working, although the VpnMentor Research Team can not confirm this claim.

ProtonVPN's post on X

TOP10VPN's list of allegedly available & unavailable VPN Apps in Apple's iOS App Store

Past VPN Demand Growths

The vpnMentor Research Team has found and published other similar VPN demand spikes related to protests, social media suspensions, and restricted access to certain apps or websites.

Recently, a remarkable increase in VPN demand was recorded in Venezuela following the government's decision to block access to X for 10 days amid protests and demonstrations. This is an example of how people use VPNs as a workaround to government censorship and to protect their privacy.

vpnMentor neither encourages nor condones using VPNs for illegal activities, such as bypassing laws or regulations.