Custom filters not blocking specific domains (facebook.com) despite saving correctly

Brave Origin
1

Description of the issue: Custom filter rules added under Shields → Content Filtering → Create custom filters (e.g. ||facebook.com^, ||corriere.it^, ||repubblica.it^) save correctly and persist after restart, but do not block the sites. Visiting these domains loads normally, including in a Private window.

Origin Build type (standalone or upgraded): Standalone

Operating System and Brave Version: macOS, Brave 1.92.134

Steps to Reproduce:

  1. brave://settings/shields/filters
  2. Enable Developer mode
  3. Add ||facebook.com^, ||corriere.it^, ||repubblica.it^ under Create custom filters
  4. Save changes
  5. Restart Brave
  6. Visit facebook.com / corriere.it / repubblica.it (also tested in Private window)

Expected result: Sites blocked.

Actual result: Sites load normally.

Additional Information: Rules confirmed present in settings after restart (not a save/persistence issue). Other custom filters using identical syntax (e.g. ||``investing.com``^) block correctly. Cleared cached images/files — no change. Shields set to Aggressive mode. Issue reproduces in both normal and Private windows, ruling out profile-specific cause.

2

@Experience

A rule like: ||facebook.com^ blocks subresource requests (scripts, XHR, images, iframes), but it does not reliably block top-level page loads.

You will have better control over page loads, by using Little Snitch (for MacOS): ‘https://www.obdev.at/index.html’

Or edit your hosts file at /etc/hosts

3

Thanks for the explanation, makes sense.
Interesting though: same rule works fine on iOS Brave, blocking facebook.com’s top-level load there too. Seems like a Mac-specific gap in Shields’ filter matching.
Using uBlock Origin in the meantime, works perfectly.

4

@Experience

Brave Browser (iOS) is a different recipe than Brave Browser (everybody else).

Using Safari Web Inspector to observe Brave Browser (iOS) - example:

‘Anti-Adblock Overlay on wco.tv (iOS/iPhone Mobile View ONLY) — Need filter list update - #2 by 289wk’

And also using Brave Browser (everybody else) Developer Tools > Network window and Console log …

You may observe the differences in the sequence of what gets downloaded to the computing device, and the webpage results that you see.

My guess is, that Brave Browser (iOS) might determine that some downloaded info that is needed, is not recieved, and silently stops the work.