Blocking mode: hard mode

Back to Blocking mode

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Roughly similar to using Adblock Plus with many filter lists + NoScript with 1st-party scripts/frames automatically trusted + RequestPolicy with 1st-party resources automatically whitelisted.

Blocking-wise, this is a small leap from medium mode. This mode will however lead to a higher likelihood of broken websites, and thus will likely require intervention the first time you visit a site, since even passive 3rd-party resources (i.e. images, css) are blocked with this mode.

This mode will block all 3rd parties by default, so it keeps privacy exposure to 3rd parties to a minimum.

^{3rd-party network requests are blocked by default.}

Starting with v1.21.7b5, a red badge on uBlock Origin (uBO) toolbar button indicates activation of the hard mode.

With a single click, it is possible to toggle the hard mode into the medium mode: it's just a matter of assigning a local noop rule to the 3rd-party cell. You can accomplish the same with a keyboard shortcut through the command "Relax blocking mode".

Characteristics

• Web pages will load fast.
• Your privacy exposure to 3rd parties is reduced to a minimum.
• You no longer depend mostly on 3rd-party filter lists to dictate what is blocked or not.
  • The static filter lists are still used to mop up whatever network requests is not blocked in this mode -- so double protection.
• Very high likelihood of web pages being broken: you have to be ready and willing to fix them when this happen.
  • Keep in mind though that as you build your ruleset for the sites you usually visit, you will spend less and less time fixing web pages.

How to enable this mode

Settings pane:

• I am an advanced user: checked.

3rd-party filters pane:

• All of uBO's custom filter lists: checked
• EasyList: checked
• Peter Lowe’s Ad server list: checked
• EasyPrivacy: checked
• Online Malicious URL Blocklist: checked

My rules pane:

• Add * * 3p block
• Add * * 3p-script block
• Add * * 3p-frame block

Tips

With few clicks, you can easily fall back into lesser blocking modes, if ever you do not have the willingness to figure the necessary rules for a given site.

Fall back into medium mode for the current site:

• set a local noop rule for the 3rd-party cell.

Fall back into easy mode for the current site:

• set a local noop rule for the 3rd-party cell.
• set a local noop rule for the 3rd-party script cell.
• Optionally, set a local noop rule for the 3rd-party frames cell.