CleanBrowsing is a DNS filtering platform that allows you to deploy content filtering on your network. This means our service filters Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs). For example, we can block badexample.com, but we cannot block badexample.com/path/to/file.php because path-level filtering operates at a different layer.

What we can and cannot block is a direct reflection of the technology we have chosen to focus on. For us, focusing on DNS allowed us to provide a technology-agnostic solution to the masses. However, that does not mean DNS filtering is the only way to filter content. There are several different approaches, each with their own strengths.

1. Network-Based Filters

With network-based filtering, the filtering occurs during request transmission from the device to the internet. This can happen at local routers, via DNS services like CleanBrowsing, or at ISP routers. The approach spans multiple levels of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model, making it one of the broadest filtering methods available.

2. Browser-Based Filters

Browser-based filtering operates within web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Edge. The browser intercepts the requests before they leave the browser and makes a determination about whether they fit the rules you have created. This approach is limited to web browsing activity within the specific browser where it is configured.

3. Application-Based Filters

Application-based filtering happens within specific applications, extending beyond browsers to all device applications. This type of filtering is commonly found in antivirus software and parental control applications that monitor and control traffic at the application level.

4. Service-Based Filters

This type of filtering has wide application, often overlapping with other types of filters. It is found in search engines and social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Service-based filtering is becoming especially important in this digital age as more content consumption happens within platform ecosystems.

Choosing the Right Approach

We do not believe in absolutes, so for us it is not about which one is the best, but rather which one will help solve your specific problem. Organizations should evaluate the scope of their filtering needs and match it to the solution that best addresses those requirements. In many cases, a combination of approaches provides the most comprehensive protection.