How to Debug Your Content Blocker for Privacy Protection

Millions of users are trying to protect their privacy from commercial tracking online, be it through their choice of browser, installation of ad and tracker blocking extensions, or use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This guide focuses on how to correctly configure the blocking extension in your browser to ensure that it's giving you the privacy you expect. We believe that tools work best when you don't have to go under the hood. While there is software which meets that criteria (and several are listed in the final section of the guide), the most popular ad blockers do not protect privacy by default and must be reconfigured. We'll show you how.

AdBlock Plus (Firefox)

AdBlock Plus (Chrome)

Adblock (Chrome)

Ghostery

Tracker-Blocking Alternatives

AdBlock Plus (Firefox)

Adblock Plus participates in the Acceptable Ads initiative, in which companies have their ads whitelisted in exchange for meeting a set of format requirements and, in some cases, a cut of the revenue generated by being unblocked. Acceptable Ads conflicts with EasyPrivacy, the privacy protection filter popular among Adblock Plus users. In doing so, Acceptable Ads exposes Adblock Plus users to tracking unless it is disabled.

1. Click on the ABP icon in the top right-hand corner of the browser window. This will open an interface menu. Select Options at the bottom.

2. The Options menu begins with a section titled Privacy and Security, which contains two options: Block additional tracking and Block social media icons tracking. These are not selected by default, so check both boxes and turn them on.

The next section is called Acceptable Ads. The Allow Acceptable Ads box is checked by default - uncheck this box to turn it off. Acceptable Ads defines acceptability according to visual obtrusiveness, and disregards the privacy aspects of ads. So while these ads may not disrupt the reading experience, they may track you, and the list of "acceptable" ads is 10,000 domains long...

By enabling the first two blocking options, you have installed two additional privacy filters, EasyPrivacy and Fanboy's Social Blocking List. Acceptable Ads can interfere with EasyPrivacy, which is why Acceptable Ads must be disabled.

3. By clicking on the Advanced tab on the left-hand side, you can view the filters that are installed and active. EasyList blocks ads. EasyPrivacy blocks invisible trackers which are loaded regardless of whether ads are blocked. Fanboy's Social Blocking List replaces widgets such as the Facebook Like button that send information back to their owners whenever they are loaded on a web page.

AdBlock Plus (Chrome)

Adblock Plus participates in the Acceptable Ads initiative, in which companies have their ads whitelisted in exchange for meeting a set of format requirements and, in some cases, a cut of the revenue generated by being unblocked. Acceptable Ads conflicts with EasyPrivacy, the privacy protection filter popular among Adblock Plus users. In doing so, Acceptable Ads exposes Adblock Plus users to tracking unless it is disabled.

Adblock Plus for Chrome does not offer the EasyPrivacy filter list as a standard option, so it must be added manually.

1. Click on the ABP icon in the top right-hand corner of the browser window. This will open an interface menu. select Options at the bottom.

2. On the next screen, uncheck the Allow some non-intrusive advertising checkbox at the bottom. Next, click on the grey box above it marked ‘+ Add: filter subscription’.

3. This will open a drop-down list. Go to the bottom and select Add a different subscription.  This will then reveal an empty box marked Filter list location where you can enter text or a URL. Enter the following URL: https://easylist.to/easylist/easyprivacy.txt

Now click Add.

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