Examining GitHub’s Role in Filter List Maintenance: Challenges and Trends in Open-Source Ad-Blocking and Privacy Protection
Mshabab Alrizah · Advances in transdisciplinary engineering · 2025
EasyList is a widely used filter list that enhances online privacy and security by blocking tracking mechanisms, advertisements, and other unwanted web elements. As an open-source project, its sustainability is based on collaborative contributions, issue tracking, and continuous updates to address emerging challenges. GitHub plays a crucial role in facilitating the management of EasyList, offering tools for version control, issue resolution, and community-driven improvements. This study explores the complexities of maintaining EasyList on GitHub by analyzing multiple-year issue reports. Through data collection, trend analysis, and resolution efficiency evaluation, this research provides insight into contributor engagement, frequently reported domains, and the overall effectiveness of the maintenance process. The findings highlight the importance of community participation in maintaining EasyList, the ongoing need for adaptive strategies against evolving tracking and ad-serving techniques, and the broader implications for open-source project management.