Venezuela Blocks Access To X

Uploaded on 2024-08-13 in TECHNOLOGY-Key Areas-Social Media, GOVERNMENT-National, FREE TO VIEW

The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has issued an order to block X in an attempt to control the flow of information available to users in Venezuela.

This follows a public row with the social media owner Elon Musk. The argument between Maduro and Musk has grown after contested election results that saw the Venezuelan President confirming his mandate for six more years.

From his X account, Musk dismissed the victory as a "major election fraud" with Maduro accusing the billionaire of "inciting hate."

Venezuela’s government has also blocked access to crypto exchange Binance and other online services amid unrest over disputed presidential election results. This move has sparked concern both nationally and internationally, with many condemning it as a violation of freedom of speech and an attack on democracy.

In response to the X blockage, many Venezuelans have turned to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass the restrictions and access social media platforms. Indeed, the research team at VpnMentor has detected a remarkable near 500% increase in VPN demand in Venezuela after the blocking of X .

The surge in started on Thursday 8th August after Conatel, Venezuela’s National Telecommunications Commission, effectively blocked access to the social media platform. VPN demand kept on growing until it reached its peak on Friday August 9.

Before the elections of July 28, ProtonVPN started to offer its services for free to Venezuelan residents. Following the implementation of the blockade on Friday, August 9, TunnelBear VPN announced on X that they would offer temporary free access to people living in Venezuela in a show of support. This gesture led to a significant increase in demand for both VPNs across the country but only skyrocketed after the ban of X.

The restriction on X marks a concerning development that adds to the constraints on freedom of expression and information access within Venezuela. With Venezuelans persisting in their quest for political transformation and economic equilibrium, global attention remains fixed on the unfolding events.

The vpnMentor research team has recorded other similar VPN demand spikes related to protests, social media suspensions, and restricted access to certain apps or websites. For example, an Internet blockade in Bangladesh amid protests resulted in a VPN surge of over 5k%.

This is one example of how people use VPNs as a work-around to government censorship, since open access to information and unrestricted communications are crucial instruments for advancing democracy and human rights.

From Iran and Pakistan to Belarus and Russia, measures to restrict their citizens access to social media and other uncontrolled media is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes.

Image: @NicolasMaduro

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