The context of censorship in Venezuela has led citizens to adopt various strategies to protect their privacy in an increasingly tense digital environment. Threats of platform blocking and intervention in private communications have forced many to reconsider their online habits.
In recent days, various online platforms such as Mercado Libre, Twitter and streaming sites have been blocked in Venezuela, causing concern among the population, especially in the context of recent protests against the results of the presidential elections published by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
In some cities across the country, there have been reports of security officials allegedly checking citizens’ mobile phones, accessing their WhatsApp chats and arresting people for the messages they send, the statuses they share and the posts they make on social media.
President Nicolás Maduro, in his speech on August 6, urged He urged his followers to uninstall WhatsApp and use alternatives such as Telegram and WeChat. He also mentioned that the National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) suggested blocking the application nationwide, a proposal that he said he preferred to leave to the “conscience” of citizens. However, increasing digital censorship and surveillance have sparked a debate about the security measures that Venezuelans can take to protect their personal information.
🚨 They started blocking @X /Twitter in Venezuela 🚨
Minutes after being announced by Nicolás Maduro, the blockade against @X /Twitter on major internet providers
We have been able to measure DNS blocking in CANTV, Digitel, Inter and NetUno.
For the… pic.twitter.com/qWLjCI1ObK
— VE sin Filtro (@vesinfiltro) August 9, 2024
SuchWhich went out into the streets to ask citizens their opinion regarding these blockages and to find out if they have begun to implement any type of digital security methods.
A resident of Caracas expressed her concern about the government’s interference in citizens’ privacy. In her opinion, it is “unacceptable” that they check the content of phones because it is something private to each person. In addition, she commented on the impact of website blocking in the country, since it affects people’s economic income because there are many people who work with platforms such as MercadoLibre.
“In Venezuela there are many restrictions regarding this, and of course, since we are in a difficult economic situation, one has to look for something in various places. So, that also influences us in not having money,” he stressed.
These actions have created a climate of distrust among the population, who are implementing measures to protect their privacy, such as activating automatic message deletion on WhatsApp, a function that allows conversations to be automatically deleted after a certain period of time.
Some citizens have chosen to clear their chats before going out, especially if they are participating in peaceful protests or having discussions about the Venezuelan political situation. They have also started using encrypted messaging apps that offer higher levels of security, such as Signal, although this one also offers higher levels of security. suffered a blockage on major internet operators.
On the subject of cell phone checks after the protests, one interviewee said: “Sometimes I doubt it a bit, because it is too invasive and, as you know, the right to privacy is a fundamental right. But in case they do it and it is real, I think it is important to keep WhatsApp at least with the fingerprint or blocked, or try to put the automatic deletion in case there is really something to hide.”
He also said that he finds the measure of blocking entertainment platforms such as Disney+ and Max “absurd” since they only seek to entertain and promote political controversy. However, he pointed out that in the country they have faced digital blocks since 2017, but that “people still find ways to watch them and get them here, so that has never stopped us.”
Another citizen interviewed condemned the invasion of privacy, since freedom of expression should be guaranteed in the country, and the only way an official can review a mobile device is with an order from a prosecutor, as established in the Constitution.
His way of overcoming digital blocks is through a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which has allowed him to continue connecting to X (formerly Twitter).
Finally, another citizen said that he had to delete his chats before going out for fear that his messages in which he discusses politics with his loved ones would be found.
“Even if I’m not talking about anything bad, it’s not the same to walk around empty-handed as to have someone come and attack me, check my cell phone and find something. They can say: ‘Look, I have orders to break up the cell phone’ or something like that, because that’s the order they have. Of course, beyond the fact that I talk about normal topics, my safety comes first, as I say, and if I did it at one point, it was for that reason,” he said.
And regarding the blocking of websites, he commented that the one that has the greatest impact on people’s economy could be MercadoLibre, since it is a platform where small and medium-sized entrepreneurs who are emerging and do not have their own or fixed supplier, help each other.
“You can check prices and look for products that are not found in a regular store. This can have a big impact because it limits the good development of people who are looking for a common interest and who are looking for your products on that page, since many times they are not available elsewhere,” he concluded.
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