CenAlert is an open-source, data-driven alert system that leverages Google Trends to pinpoint where and when global Internet censorship spikes, amplifying user voices even in hard-to-monitor regions. By detecting surges in searches for circumvention tools, CenAlert provides timely, prioritized insights and notifications to empower advocacy and response, bridging critical gaps left as traditional reporting channels face increasing threats.
CenAlert identifies censorship through user behavior rather than direct network measurements. By tracking surges in demand for VPNs and similar tools, it highlights when users are actively trying to bypass restrictions. While these spikes highly correlate with censorship, they may also indicate other access issues like georestrictions or responses to new digital laws.