Privacy Tools Every Brazilian Activist Should Know
If you organize actions or share sensitive plans, start with these three tools. They work on phones and computers common in Brazil and require little setup.
Secure your chats
WhatsApp logs everything to Meta servers. Switch group planning to Signal instead.
- Download Signal from the official site or app store on your phone.
- Register with your number, then enable disappearing messages for each chat.
- Turn on the screen lock inside Signal settings so others cannot open the app without your PIN.
- Invite the rest of your group one by one so everyone moves over at the same time.
Real case: A São Paulo collective used Signal voice notes with five-second deletion during the 2023 land rights actions. Police seized one phone but found nothing readable after the timer ran out.
- Check daily that your security number matches your contacts.
- Never forward Signal messages to WhatsApp.
- Use the note-to-self feature for quick reminders that stay only on your device.
Hide your browsing and files
Public Wi-Fi at protests and home connections can be monitored. Combine Tor Browser with a simple password manager.
| Tool | When to use | Quick start |
|---|---|---|
| Tor Browser | Access blocked sites or read reports without your ISP seeing the address. | Download from torproject.org, open it, and type the site you need. |
| KeePassXC | Store logins for activist email or cloud folders. | Install the app, create one strong master password, then save each new account inside it. |
Carry a small USB with the portable version of Tor so you can plug it into any borrowed computer. Delete browser history after each session if you must use Chrome. Test the setup once at home before you rely on it during an action.