In New York City’s vibrant downtown, a group of Brazilian protesters rented a digital billboard in Times Square.
Their goal was clear: to challenge the recent actions of the Brazilian government from afar. The billboard featured an image of a man resembling Alexandre de Moraes, a judge of Brazil’s Federal Supreme Court, with the caption “VPN-SE”.
This demonstration was a response to the Moraes Court’s decision to temporarily shut down the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in Brazil.
It also imposed a fine of R$50,000 ($8,000) for using VPNs to access the platform. The protesters aimed to promote the use of VPNs to challenge what they saw as an attack on digital freedoms.
The digital billboard, measuring 16.76 meters by 9.45 meters, displayed this provocative message at 15-second intervals, repeating it every hour throughout the day. Each screen costs approximately $250.
Earlier in July, Brazil’s Finance Minister Fernando Haddad was similarly featured on Times Square billboards.
His portrayal was linked to his role in the controversial tax reforms, earning him the nickname “Taxad”.
The sequence that led to these protests began when Justice Moraes ordered the suspension of X on Friday (August 30).
As of early Saturday (August 31), the platform was inaccessible to many Brazilian users. The move followed X’s owner Elon Musk’s failure to comply with a court order.
Times Square Billboard Challenges Brazilian Social Media Decisions
Musk was to appoint a legal representative in Brazil within 24 hours, a directive he failed to comply with.
This Times Square incident transcends protest, highlighting global digital rights and the limits of government.
Brazilian protesters used this prominent platform to highlight issues of free speech and digital state control.
