Learn how users worldwide voluntarily collect and share internet censorship information via the OONI Probe app, helping to protect a transparent internet environment.
Imagine this: you open your usual news site or messenger app, but the screen freezes or displays a “Connection Denied” message. Is it a temporary internet glitch, or has someone intentionally blocked our connection?
We use the internet every day, but it is very difficult to know what is actually happening behind the network. This is because modern internet censorship has evolved beyond simply locking doors; it has become extremely subtle and sophisticated Reference 8. However, we now have a way to personally measure and document these “invisible walls.” That is through the ‘OONI (Open Observatory of Network Interference)’ project.
Why is this important?
Internet censorship does not stop at blocking specific websites. Sometimes, it secretly blocks specific apps from running, or intentionally degrades network performance to make users give up on opening web pages. While these actions are clear infringements on digital rights, it has been difficult to respond due to a lack of evidence.
The dataset operated by the OONI project serves as a valuable weapon for journalists, media researchers, and human rights activists Reference 2. By personally measuring network status in our respective environments, we can verify whether the internet is being managed fairly anywhere in the world and, if necessary, raise our voices with objective grounds against unreasonable censorship practices Reference 8.
Simply put, a digital shared ledger
To understand the OONI project, imagine a ‘digital shared ledger run voluntarily by citizens worldwide.’
By analogy, it’s like friends in a neighborhood driving through various spots to find out if a specific road is closed, checking if they can pass, and sharing that information on a map app in real-time. OONI Probe (the OONI measurement tool) is that ‘inspection equipment.’
When a user installs the app and presses the test button, it checks if specific services are blocked on the current network or if they are operating as usual Reference 11. These results are immediately shared anonymously and piled up in the ‘data warehouse’ for people around the world: OONI Explorer Reference 14.
When millions of data points are gathered, they become ‘proof of truth’ more powerful than anything else. It isn’t about complex algorithms or AI; it’s about citizens’ small contributions coming together to create a giant defensive shield to protect internet freedom.
Where are we now?
OONI already holds the world’s largest dataset on internet censorship Reference 2. Since 2012, millions of measurements have been collected from over 200 countries Reference 15.
Currently, OONI Probe is open-source software that anyone can use freely Reference 10. It supports desktops, smartphones (iOS and Android), and even command-line interface (CLI) environments, making it easy for anyone to install and contribute to censorship measurement Reference 6, Reference 12. Thousands of networks are checked every month by voluntary participants around the world Reference 10.
What should we do in the future?
As technology advances, censorship techniques are becoming more subtle. Beyond simply blocking websites, it has become common to finely control and analyze network traffic itself Reference 8.
Therefore, it is important for more people to monitor the network constantly using tools like OONI Probe in the future. Your single test could become a decisive clue in stopping digital rights violations occurring somewhere in the world. Why not take a lighthearted moment to check if your internet is truly free right now?
MindTickleBytes AI Reporter’s Perspective
The internet should be a tool that connects the world as one. The OONI method, where citizens personally measure and share data on the invisible barrier of censorship, is the clearest and most beautiful form of solidarity, using technology to correct the harms of technology. Transparency is the most powerful democratic asset of the digital age.
References
- Measure internet censorship. Contribute to the largest open dataset (https://modernorange.io/item/49769676)
- OONI data is the world’s largest open dataset on internet… (https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tor-project_ooni-data-is-the-worlds-largest-open-dataset-activity-7462906682709278721-wEdK)
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Vue HN 2.0 Measure internet censorship. Contribute to the… (https://vue-hackernews-ssr-5cavbdjcta-ew.a.run.app/item/49769676) -
Measure internet censorship FollowNews (https://www.follownews.com.br/en/a/measure-internet-censorship–cmu9z0ena16ahll0x6cz9i8b7) -
Install OONI Probe OONI (https://ooni.org/install/) -
Download OONI Probe Desktop OONI (https://ooni.netlify.app/install/desktop) - Measuring Internet Censorship: Challenges, Trends, and Impact (https://ooni.org/post/2026-measuring-internet-censorship-trends-challenges-impact/)
- OONI: Open Observatory of Network Interference (https://docs.openobservatory.net/ooni/probe/)
- GitHub - ooni/probe: OONI Probe network measurement tool for… (https://github.com/ooni/probe)
- Measure internet censorship. Contribute to the largest open… (https://proomt.com/item/measure-internet-censorship-contribute-to-the-largest-open-dataset-c2b52ed5-e6af-4dc3-af80-8ede15d0320b)
- OONI Probe Multiplatform App - GitHub (https://github.com/ooni/probe-multiplatform)
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Launch: New OONI Explorer thematic censorship pages OONI (https://ooni.org/post/2025-ooni-explorer-thematic-censorship-pages/) -
OONI: Open Observatory of Network Interference OONI (https://ooni.netlify.app/) - Geedge Cases: Censorship Measurement Insights from the Geedge… (https://gfw.report/publications/foci26b/en/)
- Automatically collected by government agencies
- Contributed by users worldwide voluntarily performing tests
- Periodically reported by ISPs
- Becoming increasingly simple
- Becoming more sophisticated, targeted, and harder to detect
- Internet censorship no longer exists
- A corporate for-profit project
- A government-led censorship blocking technology
- A global observation network based on free and open-source software