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Blocking YouTube Shorts with Regex

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved pfBlockerNG
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  • A
    anishkgt
    last edited by May 13, 2024, 7:41 PM

    Tried following what was mentioned here. I am trying to block the shorts seen on youtube. The link to a youtube short is like this https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wEVVhumRrHI

    Thanks in advance..

    S 1 Reply Last reply May 13, 2024, 7:58 PM Reply Quote 0
    • S
      SteveITS Galactic Empire @anishkgt
      last edited by May 13, 2024, 7:58 PM

      @anishkgt You can block domains via DNS lookup, not URLs. You'd need a proxy.

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      A 1 Reply Last reply May 13, 2024, 8:20 PM Reply Quote 0
      • A
        anishkgt @SteveITS
        last edited by May 13, 2024, 8:20 PM

        @SteveITS That was an example of the destination i need to block. It is not possible to block that url in the firewall rules were domains are used. I was wondering if it would be possible to block YouTube shorts can be blocked via regex. Since it was done in the link mentioned here ->(https://forum.netgate.com/topic/164732/python-regex-list)

        G 1 Reply Last reply May 14, 2024, 7:28 AM Reply Quote 0
        • G
          Gertjan @anishkgt
          last edited by Gertjan May 14, 2024, 7:33 AM May 14, 2024, 7:28 AM

          @anishkgt said in Blocking YouTube Shorts with Regex:

          Since it was done in the link mentioned here ->(https://forum.netgate.com/topic/164732/python-regex-list)

          That link shows you you can block 'anything that contains "yahoo" in the host name".
          Fasten your seat belts now.
          Example :
          https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wEVVhumRrHI is an URL
          youtube.com is a host name
          www.youtube.com is a sub domain of that host name.

          pfBlockerng has access - can see in the clear - the domain name, "youtube.com" and the sub domain name, www.youtube.com. So it can 'filter' these. The the app or web browser on the device gets an A (IPv4) or AAAA (IPv4) as an asnwer, and it connects to this (the "youtube") server.
          TLS is established first.
          Only now the browser gets the actual 'page' : the video : with this command "GET /shorts/wEVVhumRrHI/".
          The thing is : you can't get 'into' this TLS stream. Its encrypted. You want it be encrypted. You don't want to have access to this data stream. Like never.

          There is one possibilities left : use a proxy, and do MITM. Be warned : this is pure rocket science.

          So, as @SteveITS said : you need a proxy.

          If the shorts where accessible by the usage of a sub domain name, then it would be easy :
          shorts.youtube.com can be filtered at a DNS request level, as the link shown above already shows.

          But Youtube (Google) etc are doing there best so nobody can filter there content. They are hiring the "best" for doing just that. So, part of the mission is : you have to be better as these couple of thousands of network engineers they employ.

          edit : It's youtube that has given us a partial solution. Youtube, without a premium access, is ... well ... IHMO, its just not possible. If I had to wade through the publicity to see these 'shorts' I presume I have a problem way bigger as 'watching shorts'. But hey, its a free world. Smoking is also bad. And I should drink (not water) less.

          No "help me" PM's please. Use the forum, the community will thank you.
          Edit : and where are the logs ??

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