Apple is arguably the most influential computer brand on earth and has pioneered advances in mobile technology with its iPhone brand. X, formerly known as Twitter, is now owned by outspoken billionaire Elon Musk. But as his commitment to uncensored free speech has seen it banned in some countries, their citizens are turning to VPNs to solve the problem. However, they have found that many may have vanished from the Apple store.

Elon Musk vs Brazil

When Elon Musk took over Twitter in 2022, he sought to turn it into a bastion of free speech. Yet the flipside has been that free speech naturally comes with a degree of untruths, which have recently come to a head. Brazil has been one of the countries that have responded immediately, and in April 2024, X announced it had been ordered to block certain accounts in Brazil without sufficient explanation.

Musk then began to use his platform to challenge the judge who had implemented the charges and to say X would not abide by the ruling. He later said the judge had ordered him to cancel the accounts of sitting politicians.

Fast forward to August 17th, and X announced its decision to close its offices in Brazil. This would remove the social media site from the country, and its users flocked for a method to circumvent this and access the platform from outside the country. The obvious solution to that for many was the use of a VPN. However, they were suddenly hard to find.

What Is a VPN and Why Do People Use Them?

Encrypting your internet traffic and masking your IP address are the main reasons for using a VPN. All of this takes place in real time and has several advantages. It makes it harder for people to intercept your data and track any online activities as it encrypts your data.

Another benefit is that it can prevent service providers and websites from gaining your current location. This is an advantage as you can circumvent geo-restrictions. For example, if you want to watch online television from a different country that only broadcasts on home soil, you can add a VPN and watch it wherever you are in the world. Therefore, a secure & anonymous VPN service has become more than a niche tool but has been adopted by many around the world. According to a recent study, around 1.6 billion people on the planet use a VPN.

Apple’s Removal of VPN Services

It has been reported that at the same time X announced its Brazilian closure, several VPN providers disappeared from Apple’s app store in the country. This meant that iPhone users who did not already have a VPN found it harder to get one, effectively preventing them from accessing Twitter by masking their location. One account suggested that up to 30 VPNs had vanished from the store, including some of the world's most well-known and popular providers.

It is unknown why this happened but there are several theories. One is that the problem was a glitch or bug in the App Store. This does happen occasionally, but it seems odd that only VPN providers vanished. This begs the question if Apple were introducing censorship, and if it was an order from the Brazilian Government.

Apple is not shy about complying with government regulations, especially when removing VPN products from its Apple store. It has done so in the past in Russia, though it has now quit the country and sells no products there.

However, there have been indicators where this may have been false or a misinterpretation of the truth. One major provider noted that their app was still available and had been downloaded. Another announced that their downloads had taken a huge boost of 580%.

What Is the Outcome of the X, Brazil and Apple VPN Spat?

It is unlikely we will ever hear if the removal of VPN providers happened, or if it was linked to the Brazilian government in response to Twitter's announcement. What is more intriguing is the precedent it sets. With Musk becoming more outspoken, even recently calling out the UK Prime Minster on social media, it can only mean more restrictions worldwide.

Those who want to carry on with the platform will find themselves increasingly drawn to online security measures like the installation of VPNs, which countries may decide to clamp down on. Alternatively, it could drive consumers to less secure VPNS. These can be as bad as having none at all and can be made by people who want to steal data instead of protecting it. Make sure you find one that is trusted and safe, doing it sooner rather than later.