Replace default lists for Shields with different ones

Browser Support Ad-Blocking
1

Description of the issue: Replace default lists for Shields with different ones

Exact URL of the website in question: N/A

Screenshot of the ad as it appears in Brave: N/A

Did the issue present with default Shields settings? N/A

Does the site function as expected when Shields are turned off? N/A

Does the ad appear when using a Private window as well? N/A

What OS are you using when you see the ad? Windows 11

Brave version (check About Brave): 1.85.11 x64

From what I can tell, by going over various posts, the default lists that Brave includes for Shields are the following:

  • Brave – Firstparty specific filters
  • Brave – Social
  • EasyList
  • EasyPrivacy
  • Peter Lowe’s Ad and tracking server list
  • uBlock filters – Ads
  • uBlock filters – Badware risks
  • uBlock filters – Privacy
  • uBlock filters – Unbreak

I know you can add more to that, but is there a way to disable those defaults and just use my own choices? A few of those I would use anyway, but most I wouldn’t. I’d prefer to substitute them for a group I’ve found that keeps the rule count down, yet still has a good ad and tracker blocking success rate.

I did try searching for similar posts before posting my own, but wasn’t able to find any. If this topic has already been discussed then please point me to that thread so I can see what the outcome was.

2

@theJman

https://support.brave.app/hc/en-us/articles/6449369961741-How-do-I-manage-adblock-filters-in-Brave

3

Lots of good info in that link, but I didn’t see anything related to disabling the default lists. I’m trying to determine if that’s actually possible; I don’t want to use the built-in defaults, I’d like to configure Shields to only use the ones I’ve added.

4

@theJman

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It’s default on Nightly. Might be in Beta. And in Stable you can see these listed by changing the flag for it at brave://flags

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5

That’s pretty slick @saoiray, I didn’t know about that flag. Thank you for the tip.

When enabled, I see the following 3 lists added…

  • Brave Default Adblock Filters
  • Brave Default Privacy Filters
  • Brave First Party Adblock Filters

I take it because the word Filters is plural, each of those contains more than one filter list? That could explain why there are 9 filters listed as being part of the base configuration, but only 3 show in Settings. Just want to confirm if that’s the case. While messing around with it tonight a couple of things struck me as odd though.

When I disabled every filter list, including my own, Browser Leaks still showed the following as enabled…

  • Brave Social
  • Peter Lowe’s Ad and tracking server list
  • uBlock filters – Unbreak

None of those are part of what I added, so it seems as if Brave may still be loading filters. Another oddity is the 3 default lists keep re-enabling themselves, even after I deselect them. Is there a way to ensure they remain deselected?

6

@theJman honestly I haven’t been diving in and experimenting as much lately. Do you have the social media elements activated at brave://settings/shields? Like here, the toggles are off but that means it’s blocking them.

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-NOTE-

You may want to get Nightly to work on things. For example, I’m seeing this setting below that’s in that area as well. But not entirely sure how it works. When I click the Learn More thing, it goes to some login thing. Guess it just doesn’t have a good link for users yet.

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I just don’t feel like toying with it to see what it does differently overall. At least not yet.

7

Browserleaks isn’t a reliable measure, Given we removed Peter Lowes List nearly a year ago.

8

@fanboynz, do you know of another website which is more accurate? I’ll start using that instead.

9

@Saoiray, those social media settings were all disabled, so I re-enabled them using the sliders. Browserleaks still showed the same 3 lists as being active (that’s with every other list unchecked). What also doesn’t change is that Braves default lists keep re-enabling themselves. I’ll uncheck them, close the tab, open a new tab to brave://settings/shields/filters and they’re all checked again.

Unfortunately, the social media blocking settings didn’t affect the outcome.

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Its all open source, which lists we use. No need to fake sniff or anything

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No “fake sniffing” involved. My ask about a website other than browserleaks was because I use it to verify more browsers/ad blockers than just Brave.