While visiting China on an 11-day trip across Asia, Trump managed to tweet a thanks to President Xi.
The social media platform – which Trump uses daily – is banned in China. Other social media platforms – like Facebook, Gmail, and WhatsApp – have been blocked since 2009. And, as anyone who has traveled to China knows, one of the only ways to access these sites is with a VPN. Yet, in July 2017, China banned VPNs and even arrested people for selling them.
So, how did Trump manage to tweet while in China?
Before heading to Beijing, one of Trump’s officials told reporters “the president will tweet whenever he wants. I’m sure we’ve got the gear aboard this airplane to allow that to happen.” China’s Great Firewall regulates and censors Internet activity, and it’s especially hard to bypass without a VPN or other proxy service. Want to learn how a VPN bypasses China’s Great Firewall? Click here. Travelers visiting China need to purchase a VPN before arriving in order to access blocked websites. While the president has unlimited resources to access the web, we can assume he probably used a VPN. There’s no way to know which VPN President Trump used to post his tweet, but we do know there are a limited number of VPNs that successfully bypass China’s Firewall.
Trump probably uses a VPN for other things, too
There’s no way to confirm this, but if Trump’s using a VPN to access Twitter in China, he’s probably using a VPN for other things as well. Think about it. Trump is being investigated by the FBI for communicating with Russia (known as the Mueller investigation). He once claimed that Obama tapped his phone in the Trump Tower. If Trump thinks he’s being monitored, then it makes sense that he would use a VPN.
VPN use increases with Trump’s Presidency
Trump isn’t the only one using a VPN. Since Trump was elected as president back in January, VPN use has increased almost 145% in the U.S. and 35% globally. This is probably due to Trump’s position on censorship. As he stated during his campaign, Trump is pro-censorship. In light of recent terror attacks in the U.S., Trump proposed an increase in online censorship and internet security. Anti-Trump activists have been fighting this policy since he started his presidency. (They even created a worldwide online protest against Ajit Pai’s proposal to reverse Title II of the Communications Act). Journalists have also faced concern with regards to the freedom of the press, and many more are using VPNs for protection
What are the benefits of using a VPN?
For Trump, it makes sense to use a VPN. VPNs encrypt your traffic and data so that no one else can read it. It makes it nearly impossible for anyone to hack your network (although it can still happen). VPNs also change your geolocation, so you can browse the web anonymously. This is especially useful for journalists who want to spread important messages without compromising their name. By changing your location, VPNs let you access blocked content, like the banned social media platforms in China. This also lets you watch content only available in another country (Netflix’s US library, for instance). The benefits of using a VPN are endless, which is why Trump probably uses one.
But aren’t VPNs Illegal?
You might think VPNs might be illegal, but they’re not. The only countries where a VPN is illegal is in China and Russia And, if the president of the United States can use a VPN to access Twitter in China, then we can definitely use a VPN, too. What do you think about Trump using a VPN? Share your thoughts on Facebook. Check out the table below for the most recommended paid VPNs on the market right now:
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