Web browsers today face increasing demands for both performance and privacy. At Brave, they're tackling both challenges head-on with their Rust-based ad-blocking engine. This isn't just about blocking ads – it's about doing so with minimal performance impact while maintaining compatibility with existing filter lists and adapting to evolving web technologies.

Today we're joined by Anton Lazarev, Senior Software Engineer at Brave, to discuss how they're using Rust to build a high-performance ad-blocker, the challenges of working within browser constraints, and how they're pushing the boundaries of what's possible in modern web privacy.

Brave is a privacy-focused web browser that blocks ads and trackers by default. It's built on top of Chromium, with additional privacy features like the ability to earn cryptocurrency by viewing privacy-respecting ads. Brave has been an early adopter of Rust, using it to build their ad-blocking engine and other core features.

Anton Lazarev is a Senior Software Engineer at Brave, where he works on the browser's core privacy features. In his free time, Anton enjoys working on like his fully open-source and Rust-based, customizable split keyboard.