In a significant move reflecting growing global trends, Brazil has officially banned X, previously known as Twitter.
This decision places Brazil among a select group of countries that have imposed restrictions on the social media platform, often in response to political or security concerns.
Brazil has officially banned X, formerly known as Twitter, marking its entry into a select group of countries that have imposed similar restrictions on the social media platform.
This move aligns Brazil with several nations, most of which are led by authoritarian regimes.
While some countries have enacted permanent bans, others have implemented temporary restrictions on X, often targeting its use by political dissidents. For instance, Egypt banned the platform during the Arab Spring uprisings in 2011, while Turkey imposed bans in 2014 and 2023. Uzbekistan also restricted access around its 2021 presidential election.
Here are other notable examples:
- China: Banned Twitter in June 2009, just before the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests. Chinese users have since turned to domestic platforms like Weibo and WeChat.
- Iran: Blocked Twitter in 2009 amid protests following a disputed presidential election. Despite the ban, the platform has been used to communicate dissident activities.
- Turkmenistan: Blocked Twitter in the early 2010s along with many other foreign sites. The government monitors internet use through its state-run provider, TurkmenTelecom.
- North Korea: Banned Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and various other sites in April 2016. Internet access is heavily restricted to a few high-ranking officials.
- Myanmar: Banned X in February 2021 following a military coup. The junta has since maintained strict control over internet access.
- Russia: Throttled Twitter access in 2021 and imposed a formal ban in March 2022, shortly after the invasion of Ukraine. Russian users often bypass the ban using VPNs.
- Pakistan: Imposed a ban on X in February 2024 for security reasons following parliamentary elections.
- Venezuela: Nicolás Maduro’s government suspended X access for ten days starting August 9, 2024, amid violent crackdowns on protests. The suspension continues beyond the initial period.
In Brazil, the ban was enacted by Supreme Court Judge Alexandre de Moraes, who cited the reactivation of previously suspended accounts. Users attempting to access X via VPNs in Brazil face fines of 50,000 reais ($8,900) per day.