FAQ
Is DurgaShield free?
Yes. DurgaShield is completely free and open source under the MIT license. No paid tiers, no premium features, no hidden costs. It will always remain free.
Does DurgaShield collect my data?
Absolutely not. DurgaShield does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data. All settings, block lists, and statistics are stored locally in your browser’s built-in storage. No analytics, no telemetry, no tracking. Zero data leaves your device.
How is DurgaShield different from uBlock Origin?
DurgaShield is an all-in-one solution. uBlock Origin excels at ad blocking but doesn’t include phishing protection, anti-fingerprinting, social container isolation, password leak checking, GenAI data leak prevention, extension risk audit, or Facebook/Instagram privacy controls. DurgaShield replaces uBlock Origin + Ghostery + Privacy Badger + NoScript + Decentraleyes + Password Monitor + and more — all in a single extension.
Will DurgaShield slow down my browser?
No. DurgaShield uses Firefox’s built-in declarativeNetRequest API for network-level blocking, which runs natively in the browser’s C++ engine — far faster than JavaScript-based blocking. Most processing is offloaded to the browser itself, resulting in minimal performance impact.
Does DurgaShield block YouTube ads?
Yes. DurgaShield removes YouTube ad DOM elements (video ads, banner ads, promoted videos, merchandise shelves) and auto-skips video ads as soon as the skip button appears. It also mutes and speeds up unskippable ads at 16x speed.
Can I whitelist specific sites?
Yes. You can whitelist any site from the popup with one click. Whitelisted sites bypass all blocking. You can also whitelist specific YouTube channels to allow ads only on creators you want to support.
What is the Social Container feature?
It uses Firefox’s built-in container tabs to isolate Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp in a dedicated “Social Media” container. Social media cookies are stored separately — not accessible from your normal browsing tabs. This prevents social media platforms from tracking your activity across other websites.
What permissions does DurgaShield need and why?
| Permission | Purpose |
|---|---|
declarativeNetRequest |
Network-level ad and tracker blocking |
storage |
Save settings, block lists, and stats locally |
tabs |
Apply per-site settings and show popup info |
notifications |
Alert when malware, phishing, or threats are blocked |
contextualIdentities |
Create Social Container for Facebook/Instagram isolation |
scripting |
Inject anti-adblock bypass scriptlets |
unlimitedStorage |
Store large filter lists locally |
alarms |
Schedule automatic filter list updates |
management |
Scan other extensions for security risk audit |
<all_urls> |
Block ads and trackers on any website |
What filter lists does DurgaShield use?
EasyList, EasyPrivacy, Peter Lowe’s Ad server list, Online Malicious URL Blocklist (URLhaus), AdGuard Annoyances, EasyList Cookie, Dan Pollock’s hosts file, Fanboy Annoyances, and Fanboy Social. All lists auto-update every 6 hours.
How do I report a false positive or bug?
Open an issue on the GitHub issues page.
Is the source code available?
Yes. Fully open source under MIT License on GitHub.