Ad & Tracker Blocking

Stealth Browse includes a powerful built-in ad blocker that blocks ads, trackers, and malicious scripts across all websites.

How It Works

The ad blocker operates at multiple levels to provide comprehensive protection:

Network-Level Blocking

Requests to ad and tracking domains are blocked before they're sent, saving bandwidth and battery.

Script Interception

Ad-related JavaScript is intercepted using modified fetch and XHR handlers.

Element Hiding

CSS selectors hide ad containers and sponsored content that slip through.

Mutation Observation

Dynamically injected ads are detected and hidden in real-time.

Filter Lists

The ad blocker uses multiple curated filter lists:

EasyList

The primary ad-blocking list with rules for blocking ads on thousands of websites. Updated regularly by the community.

EasyPrivacy

Blocks tracking scripts, web bugs, information collectors, and data harvesters.

Malware Domains

Blocks known malware distribution domains and command-and-control servers.

Custom Domains

Additional domains covering major ad networks: Google Ads, DoubleClick, Facebook tracking, and more.

Blocked Content Types

Type	Examples	Impact
Display Ads	Banner ads, sidebar ads, pop-ups	Cleaner pages, less distraction
Video Ads	Pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll	Faster video playback
Tracking Scripts	Analytics, pixels, beacons	Improved privacy
Social Widgets	Like buttons, share buttons	Prevents social tracking
Sponsored Content	Native ads, recommendations	Focus on real content

Enterprise Sync

The ad blocker syncs with the FATAL admin panel for additional enterprise-managed blocklists:

Remote Blocklist

Additional domains managed by your organization's IT team.

24-Hour Sync

Automatically syncs new blocklist entries every 24 hours.

Cached Locally

Remote blocklists are cached for offline use.

Combined Protection

Built-in and remote lists work together.

Statistics

Track the ad blocker's effectiveness with detailed statistics:

Available Stats

Blocked Domains Total domains in all blocklists combined

Built-in Domains Domains from EasyList/EasyPrivacy

Remote Domains Domains synced from admin panel

Session Blocked Requests blocked this session

Total Blocked All-time blocked requests

Last Sync When remote list was updated

Plugin Access

Plugins can access ad block statistics through the API:

// Get all stats as JSON
const stats = JSON.parse(StealthPluginAPI.getAdBlockStats());

// Individual methods
StealthPluginAPI.getBlockedDomainCount();   // Total blocked domains
StealthPluginAPI.getSessionBlockedCount();  // This session
StealthPluginAPI.getTotalBlockedCount();    // All time
StealthPluginAPI.recordBlockedRequest();    // Increment counter

Allowed CDNs

Certain content delivery networks are whitelisted to prevent breaking legitimate content:

YouTube: ytimg.com, ggpht.com (thumbnails and avatars)
Google: googleusercontent.com, gstatic.com
Social Media: twimg.com, cdninstagram.com, fbcdn.net
Image Hosts: imgur.com, redd.it
CDNs: cloudfront.net, akamaized.net, cloudflare.com

Configuration

The ad blocker can be enabled/disabled in Settings → Security → Ad & Tracker Blocking.

Recommendation: Keep ad blocking enabled at all times. It improves privacy, speeds up page loading, reduces data usage, and extends battery life.

Troubleshooting

Site Not Working?

If a website isn't working correctly with ad blocking enabled:

Try disabling ad blocking temporarily for that site
Check if the site requires JavaScript (some ad-blocker detection scripts may be blocked)
Report the issue so we can update the filter rules

Ads Still Showing?

If you're still seeing ads:

Ensure ad blocking is enabled in settings
Check that the page has reloaded after enabling
Some native ads may require updated filter rules
Report the ad so we can add it to the blocklist