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9/17/2026 6:30:35 PM EDT
I get affiliate links or whatever if someone links a product, but why are links to telegram and news sites and such going through sovrn?
9/17/2026 6:36:13 PM EDT
[#1]
The script routing these links through Sovrn does not differentiate between a retail site and a news site. It handles all outbound traffic the same way for several functional reasons:Site-Wide Automation: The forum uses a blanket JavaScript snippet provided by Sovrn Commerce. Rather than trying to selectively scan and filter millions of user posts, the script simply intercepts every outbound link clicked in the General Discussion forum and passes it through the redirect server first.Monetization Check: When a link routes through Sovrn, their server instantly checks if the destination URL (even a news site) has an active affiliate or referral program. Many major media outlets and news sites actually pay referral fees for subscriptions, premium content, or traffic generation. If a match exists, the forum gets credited; if it doesn't, the link seamlessly passes through to the news site as normal.Analytics and Outbound Tracking: Routing all links through a centralized path gives the forum valuable data on user behavior. It allows them to track what types of news stories or external pages their community is engaging with the most and helps flag broken links across the entire site.
9/17/2026 6:59:36 PM EDT
[#2]
Well that feels gross. I updated my ar15.com extension to restore the original link.
9/17/2026 7:03:04 PM EDT
[#3]
"I'm not in commerce, I'm just travelling"
F Cancer
9/17/2026 7:05:44 PM EDT
[#4]
Quote History
Originally Posted By AmorphousBlob:
Well that feels gross. I updated my ar15.com extension to restore the original link.
View Quote


The real MVP.

Where can one get this extension?
9/17/2026 7:28:27 PM EDT
[Last Edit: AmorphousBlob][Edited] [#5]
Quote History
Originally Posted By GlutealCleft:


The real MVP.

Where can one get this extension?
View Quote


Heh, it's just something I vibed coded with codex. You can see most of the original source in this thread: https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/I-vibe-coded-an-extension-to-hide-users-on-arf/5-2849671/. It's not released anywhere. Honestly if you spent 20 minutes with your favorite LLM I'm betting you could make something as good or better.
9/17/2026 8:58:20 PM EDT
[Last Edit: CleverNickname][Edited] [#6]
Originally Posted By AmorphousBlob:Honestly if you spent 20 minutes with your favorite LLM I'm betting you could make something as good or better.
View Quote

Chat GPT did this Chrome/Brave extension in about 2 minutes.  It just removes sovrn.co and restores the original URL in the links.  https://easysend.co/MMH26
9/17/2026 10:25:14 PM EDT
[#7]
*reads the privacy stuff, sees meta api, google* ... in addition to outbound rtb.

well then.

It's good opsec to treat public places as public places.
9/18/2026 12:18:00 PM EDT
[#8]
If you use ublock origin you can go into the Configuration / My Filters
Check the boxes to enable custom filters and filters requiring trust.
Then in the text box below add the following
||sovrn.co/^$urlskip=-blocked ?u


Hit the apply changes button.

The filter above will rewrite the link when you click on it skipping sovrn.co and going to the original link - your URL bar may show the sovrn.co URL briefly but I did network dumps to verify your browser never actually visits the site.
9/18/2026 1:12:01 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Foxxz:
If you use ublock origin you can go into the Configuration / My Filters
Check the boxes to enable custom filters and filters requiring trust.
Then in the text box below add the following
||sovrn.co/^$urlskip=-blocked ?u


Hit the apply changes button.

The filter above will rewrite the link when you click on it skipping sovrn.co and going to the original link - your URL bar may show the sovrn.co URL briefly but I did network dumps to verify your browser never actually visits the site.
View Quote


Thank you kindly.
9/18/2026 1:15:39 PM EDT
[#10]
Attached File
z - Deplorable Neanderthal Garbage per liberal media.
9/18/2026 1:21:51 PM EDT
[#11]
“America is a whorehouse where the revolutionary ideals of your forefathers are corrupted and sold in alleys by vendors of capitalism.”
9/18/2026 6:15:08 PM EDT
[#12]
Well, if AI wrote the code it's gotta be better than extra url extensions, (I don't even know what any of that means).
"If ever a time should come when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of it's experienced patriots to prevent it's ruin". Samuel Adams
9/18/2026 6:17:32 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote History
Originally Posted By AmorphousBlob:


Heh, it's just something I vibed coded with codex. You can see most of the original source in this thread: https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/I-vibe-coded-an-extension-to-hide-users-on-arf/5-2849671/. It's not released anywhere. Honestly if you spent 20 minutes with your favorite LLM I'm betting you could make something as good or better.
View Quote

Or you could just send it to people who want it.
Esstac’s Retarded Social Media Influencer
9/18/2026 7:03:36 PM EDT
[#14]
Quote History
Originally Posted By CleverNickname:

Chat GPT did this Chrome/Brave extension in about 2 minutes.  It just removes sovrn.co and restores the original URL in the links.  https://easysend.co/MMH26
View Quote

The irony of your link going through sovrn.co.
9/18/2026 7:07:34 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Dangus][Edited] [#15]
Anyone notice when someone forgets to put a space after a period, a link is generated?  Like.This

Interesting, the link isn't showing for me in this post, but it shows in the preview.  I've also seen it in other live posts.




From the Gun Shows thread:

9/18/2026 7:17:29 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote History
Originally Posted By CleverNickname:

Chat GPT did this Chrome/Brave extension in about 2 minutes.  It just removes sovrn.co and restores the original URL in the links.  https://easysend.co/MMH26
View Quote


9/18/2026 7:51:25 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Klee][Edited] [#17]
Deleted because it does not work.
9/18/2026 8:01:42 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Klee:
https://i.imgur.com/msp13bc.png
View Quote


He'll get it eventually.
Originally Posted By HermanSnerd:

In reality, those two hot chicks that you just met that want you to come home with them for "a good time", are merely the bait for the huge guy hiding in the closet wearing a Batman suit.
9/18/2026 8:14:26 PM EDT
[#19]
Quote History
Originally Posted By dmnoid77:


He'll get it eventually.
View Quote


Not sure who this refers to, but I'm all ears. Isn't this just blocking sovrn without restoring the initial links?
9/18/2026 8:17:14 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Dangus:
Anyone notice when someone forgets to put a space after a period, a link is generated?  Like.This

Interesting, the link isn't showing for me in this post, but it shows in the preview.  I've also seen it in other live posts.
View Quote

It doesn't do it for me.  Are you sure it's not some browser extension which you're using that's auto-creating them?

9/18/2026 8:27:12 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote History
Originally Posted By CleverNickname:

It doesn't do it for me.  Are you sure it's not some browser extension which you're using that's auto-creating them?

View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Quote History
Originally Posted By CleverNickname:
Originally Posted By Dangus:
Anyone notice when someone forgets to put a space after a period, a link is generated?  Like.This

Interesting, the link isn't showing for me in this post, but it shows in the preview.  I've also seen it in other live posts.

It doesn't do it for me.  Are you sure it's not some browser extension which you're using that's auto-creating them?


I see this as well.


Attached File
9/18/2026 8:28:50 PM EDT
[#22]
So without using an add on the site just broke the ability to hover over the link to check the address before clicking.

That's BS.....


https://www.youtube.com/

https://www.youtube.com/
9/18/2026 8:30:28 PM EDT
[#23]
How long until its a violation of the CoC to block tracking links and cookies?
Carpe diem - Seize the day
Carpe per diem - Seize the expense check
9/18/2026 9:23:42 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Klee][Edited] [#24]
Deleted, does not work.
9/18/2026 9:40:41 PM EDT
[#25]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Klee:





First example youtube link above:

"https://sovrn.co/?key=41eb5962625ae87b4762e5bd8c88faf6&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eyoutube%2Ecom%2F&cuid=164047"

I click on it.

Browser goes to my pi-hole after being redirected at my router and Pi-hole strips the redirect and sends me to:

"https://www.youtube.com/"

Shows "Deny" in the log for sovrn.com

https://i.imgur.com/CgtATXt.png

Also trying to ping sovrn.co:

https://i.imgur.com/r32WCrb.png



Seems to work for me.




View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Quote History
Originally Posted By Klee:





First example youtube link above:

"https://sovrn.co/?key=41eb5962625ae87b4762e5bd8c88faf6&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eyoutube%2Ecom%2F&cuid=164047"

I click on it.

Browser goes to my pi-hole after being redirected at my router and Pi-hole strips the redirect and sends me to:

"https://www.youtube.com/"

Shows "Deny" in the log for sovrn.com

https://i.imgur.com/CgtATXt.png

Also trying to ping sovrn.co:

https://i.imgur.com/r32WCrb.png



Seems to work for me.






Astra's not AGI?

Pi-hole’s “Deny” is an action button, not the result of the query. The circled sovrn.co entries are green and show cached DNS responses.

The ping resolved sovrn.co to 52.71.139.74. Getting no ping replies doesn’t mean HTTPS is blocked; a server can ignore pings and still serve web requests.

Also, your original screenshot blocks sovrn.com, while these links use sovrn.co.

Reaching YouTube doesn’t establish that Pi-hole stripped anything—Sovrn’s normal redirect also lands you on YouTube. Pi-hole handles DNS lookups; it can’t extract the destination from an encrypted HTTPS URL.

The uBlock Origin rule in reply #8 can actually skip the redirect inside the browser. To verify what’s happening on your setup, check the browser’s Network panel for a request to sovrn.co.
9/18/2026 9:42:12 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Klee:





First example youtube link above:

"https://sovrn.co/?key=41eb5962625ae87b4762e5bd8c88faf6&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eyoutube%2Ecom%2F&cuid=164047"

I click on it.

Browser goes to my pi-hole after being redirected at my router and Pi-hole strips the redirect and sends me to:

"https://www.youtube.com/"

Shows "Deny" in the log for sovrn.com

https://i.imgur.com/CgtATXt.png

Also trying to ping sovrn.co:

https://i.imgur.com/r32WCrb.png



Seems to work for me.

Pic of my Pi-hole sitting all by itself doing its thing.

https://i.imgur.com/7LQd6UF.jpg
View Quote


This was not on my block list.
9/18/2026 9:48:47 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote History
Originally Posted By AmorphousBlob:


Astra's not AGI?

View Quote



Damn typos freaking kill me.

I thought it worked, but after fixing the typo no joy.

Need to investigate it more.
9/18/2026 9:51:42 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Klee][Edited] [#28]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Foxxz:
If you use ublock origin you can go into the Configuration / My Filters
Check the boxes to enable custom filters and filters requiring trust.
Then in the text box below add the following
||sovrn.co/^$urlskip=-blocked ?u


Hit the apply changes button.

The filter above will rewrite the link when you click on it skipping sovrn.co and going to the original link - your URL bar may show the sovrn.co URL briefly but I did network dumps to verify your browser never actually visits the site.
View Quote


This is the way, what I quoted above, I thought what I did would work so everyone just ignore what I posted.

It's been a long day and I have been dealing with a worsening cognitive issue for the past couple of years but I try to double check stuff before I hit submit but usually have to edit most of my posts anyway.


"Pi-hole cannot strip or prevent redirects from sovrn.com (or any domain) because it operates strictly as a DNS server, not a web proxy or browser extension.  It only resolves domain names to IP addresses; it does not inspect or modify the HTTP/HTTPS content, headers, or redirect instructions sent by the web server.

DNS Limitation: Pi-hole only answers the question "What is the IP for sovrn.com?" If the domain is not blocked, it returns the correct IP, and the browser handles any redirects initiated by sovrn.com directly.
Blocking Behavior: If sovrn.com is blocked in Pi-hole, it typically resolves to 0.0.0.0 (NULL blocking), causing the connection to fail entirely rather than redirecting to a custom page (which is often blocked by HTTPS security).
Alternative Solutions: To intercept or modify redirects, you would need a proxy server (like Squid) or a browser-level ad blocker (like uBlock Origin) that can decrypt and inspect HTTPS traffic. "
9/18/2026 9:58:07 PM EDT
[#29]
Klee, the Deny on the right side of your screenshot is simply an option to change.

See how mine says Allow on the right, but shows it being blocked on the left side with the red circle and slash?

Issues that remain unaddressed or unresolved never make for a better relationship.
9/18/2026 10:05:49 PM EDT
[#30]
Quote History
Originally Posted By MissileCop:
Klee, the Deny on the right side of your screenshot is simply an option to change.

See how mine says Allow on the right, but shows it being blocked on the left side with the red circle and slash?

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/6492/Screenshot_from_2026-09-18_21-55-19-3829412.jpg
View Quote



Yep, I see that now.

I'll just go sit in the back of the class for now.  
9/18/2026 10:13:27 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Klee:

Yep, I see that now.

I'll just go sit in the back of the class for now.  
View Quote


I've followed some of your projects, I know that feeling well.


Issues that remain unaddressed or unresolved never make for a better relationship.
9/18/2026 10:32:32 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote History
Originally Posted By MissileCop:


I've followed some of your projects, I know that feeling well.


View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Quote History
Originally Posted By MissileCop:
Originally Posted By Klee:

Yep, I see that now.

I'll just go sit in the back of the class for now.  


I've followed some of your projects, I know that feeling well.





I've been trying to keep mentally active as much as I can with projects and posting them here motivates me to keep at it.
9/19/2026 10:27:17 AM EDT
[#33]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Foxxz:
If you use ublock origin you can go into the Configuration / My Filters
Check the boxes to enable custom filters and filters requiring trust.
Then in the text box below add the following
||sovrn.co/^$urlskip=-blocked ?u


Hit the apply changes button.

The filter above will rewrite the link when you click on it skipping sovrn.co and going to the original link - your URL bar may show the sovrn.co URL briefly but I did network dumps to verify your browser never actually visits the site.
View Quote


Thanks for doing most of the legwork, in my ublock I had to put @@ at the front of that snippet to resolve an error.  Not sure why yet.
The plane flew, admit you're wrong and get over it.
9/19/2026 11:27:19 AM EDT
[#34]
Maybe there are few who actually glance down in the corner at times to see where they are being redirected?


Where are you being linked to and do you want to go here?  Is it a PDF, video file, etc? A known sketchy site or just a site you don't want to give clicks to?  

https://sovrn.co/key=41eb5962625ae87b4762e5bd8c88faf6&u=https%3A%2F%2Fsupport%2Ebrave%2Eapp%2Fhc%2Fen%2Dus%2Farticles%2F6449369961741%2DHow%2Ddo%2DI%2Dmanage%2Dadblock%2Dfilters%2Din%2DBrave&cuid=164047


Yesterday 7:32:11 PM EDT
[#35]
Does anyone have a way to block this for brave on android.  They dont allow ublock origin on their mobile version.  I tried adding it in custom filters but it didnt work.  

Its really annoying because if i copy a link to share its copying the stupid sovrn link and not the actual link.

If no one has a solution guess I'll be looking for  different mobile browser i can install ublock origin on.
Yesterday 8:26:34 PM EDT
[Last Edit: 2tired2run][Edited] [#36]
Posting a YouTube  link got me the sorvn redirect even.  But I learned adding this.... "?gmasstrack=false ".... to the end of the link stopped the redirect.  



"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
Necessity is the plea for every infringement of freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
Yesterday 8:30:41 PM EDT
[#37]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Dangus:
Anyone notice when someone forgets to put a space after a period, a link is generated?  Like.This

Interesting, the link isn't showing for me in this post, but it shows in the preview.  I've also seen it in other live posts.

https://i.imgur.com/48hHujs.png


From the Gun Shows thread:

https://i.imgur.com/16L6z5D.png
View Quote

It may be trying to get around people breaking up links to stop them from going through the redirect so the RTB doesn't trigger and potentially splatter your information everywhere.
Yesterday 8:34:13 PM EDT
[#38]
I know I’ll never click on a link here again.
Carpe diem - Seize the day
Carpe per diem - Seize the expense check
Today 12:32:13 AM EDT
[#39]
Quote History
Originally Posted By RV8guy:
I know I’ll never click on a link here again.
View Quote

Not excusing it but I suspect they're doing it to try and cover tens of thousands in monthly server bills.

The possibility that it's likely tied on the back end to ad systems that only pay out because they're collecting information about accounts and people because they think they can make money on that info is just the seedy security disrespecting underside.
Today 1:24:31 AM EDT
[#40]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Foxxz:  If you use ublock origin you can go into the Configuration / My Filters
Check the boxes to enable custom filters and filters requiring trust.
Then in the text box below add the following
||sovrn.co/^$urlskip=-blocked ?u


Hit the apply changes button.

The filter above will rewrite the link when you click on it skipping sovrn.co and going to the original link - your URL bar may show the sovrn.co URL briefly but I did network dumps to verify your browser never actually visits the site.
View Quote


This doesn't seem to work on Firefox in Ubuntu MATE.
Today 1:32:01 AM EDT
[#41]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Klee:  It's been a long day and I have been dealing with a worsening cognitive issue for the past couple of years but I try to double check stuff before I hit submit but usually have to edit most of my posts anyway.
View Quote


We've both been posting in GD for two decades now, it is making us stupider.  
Today 11:27:44 AM EDT
[#42]
Quote History
Originally Posted By backbencher:


This doesn't seem to work on Firefox in Ubuntu MATE.
View Quote


I'm using firefox on linux. It doesn't alter the link until your browser actually tries to go to it. It gets caught prior to the request going out and rewritten then. So it LOOKS like its not working but I watched the network traffic to verify it does actually work.
Today 12:05:00 PM EDT
[Last Edit: XeonEvolved][Edited] [#43]
It is also hijacking (short) Amazon links.

https://a.co/d/0g0UOeX7 (supposed to be cold link)

Takes you to Superoffers.com. It should go to https://www.amazon.com/BLU-RAY-Voight-Robert-Sizemore-Kilmer/dp/B0HFVPLZJR

New 'feature'
Today 12:06:34 PM EDT
[#44]
Quote History
Originally Posted By lygxis:

Not excusing it but I suspect they're doing it to try and cover tens of thousands in monthly server bills.

The possibility that it's likely tied on the back end to ad systems that only pay out because they're collecting information about accounts and people because they think they can make money on that info is just the seedy security disrespecting underside.
View Quote View All Quotes
View All Quotes
Quote History
Originally Posted By lygxis:
Originally Posted By RV8guy:
I know I’ll never click on a link here again.

Not excusing it but I suspect they're doing it to try and cover tens of thousands in monthly server bills.

The possibility that it's likely tied on the back end to ad systems that only pay out because they're collecting information about accounts and people because they think they can make money on that info is just the seedy security disrespecting underside.

Beyond the ad revenue and the memberships?
Today 12:31:06 PM EDT
[#45]
Before, users would help out OP with "link made hot."

Now, the hotness will be "link left cold" so your browser can autogen the URL link and avoid the tracking.

Today 12:41:39 PM EDT
[#46]
Quote History
Originally Posted By XeonEvolved:
It is also highjacking (short) Amazon links.

https://a.co/d/0g0UOeX7 (supposed to be cold link)

Takes you to Superoffers.com. It should go to https://www.amazon.com/BLU-RAY-Voight-Robert-Sizemore-Kilmer/dp/B0HFVPLZJR

New 'feature'
View Quote

That is really bad
Today 12:44:41 PM EDT
[Last Edit: Cobalt135][Edited] [#47]
Quote History
Originally Posted By DDiggler:
Before, users would help out OP with "link made hot."

Now, the hotness will be "link left cold" so your browser can autogen the URL link and avoid the tracking.

View Quote

Nope, that is why the site is now creating a "link" out of BS as simple as a typo so they can attempt to harvest the click through sovrn.

like.this  <------------------------


Attached File




When posting in that plain text shown above it is converted the following URL on mouse hover after.


Attached File
Today 12:52:17 PM EDT
[#48]
Last time they did this it only afflicted free members, although i think there was a lot of consternation from issues with quotes and it getting broken. Oh well. Brownelled again.
Today 1:19:44 PM EDT
[#49]
I'm using TamperMonkey with the following script to eradicate sovrn, vigilink, and avantlink redirects across the board.  I'm sick and tired of being monetized by having everything I click routed through third parties who aren't accountable for the crap they do.

// ==UserScript==
// @name         Remove VigLink, AvantLink, and Sovrn Redirects
// @namespace    https://tampermonkey.net/
// @version      1.0
// @description  Strip redirect wrappers from VigLink, AvantLink, and Sovrn links
// @match        *://*/*
// @run-at       document-end
// @grant        none
// ==/UserScript==

(function() {
   'use strict';

   const REDIRECT_DOMAINS = [
       "viglink.com",
       "redirect.viglink.com",
       "avantlink.com",
       "www.avantlink.com",
       "sovrn.co",
       "redirect.sovrn.com"
   ];

   const PARAM_CANDIDATES = [
       "url", "u", "dest", "destination", "to", "afsrc", "redir", "r"
   ];

   function extractRealUrl(href) {
       try {
           const parsed = new URL(href);

           // Check if this is a redirector domain
           if (!REDIRECT_DOMAINS.some(d => parsed.hostname.includes(d))) {
               return null;
           }

           // Try all known parameter names
           for (const p of PARAM_CANDIDATES) {
               let val = parsed.searchParams.get(p);
               if (val) {
                   // Some redirectors double-encode URLs
                   try {
                       val = decodeURIComponent(val);
                   } catch {}
                   try {
                       val = decodeURIComponent(val);
                   } catch {}

                   // Validate it's a real URL
                   if (val.startsWith("http://") || val.startsWith("https://")) {
                       return val;
                   }
               }
           }

           return null;
       } catch (e) {
           console.error("Redirect fix error:", e);
           return null;
       }
   }

   function fixLink(a) {
       if (!a || !a.href) return;

       const real = extractRealUrl(a.href);
       if (real) {
           console.log("Rewriting URL: " + a.href + " as " + real);
           a.href = real;
       }
   }

   function scan() {
       document.querySelectorAll("a[href]").forEach(fixLink);
   }

   // Initial scan
   scan();

   // Watch for dynamically added links
   const observer = new MutationObserver(mutations => {
       for (const m of mutations) {
           for (const node of m.addedNodes) {
               if (node.nodeType === 1) {
                   if (node.tagName === "A") {
                       fixLink(node);
                   } else {
                       node.querySelectorAll?.("a[href]").forEach(fixLink);
                   }
               }
           }
       }
   });

   observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });
})();



01010111 | 57 | 127 | LXXXVII
Today 1:26:43 PM EDT
[Last Edit: DDiggler][Edited] [#50]
Quote History
Originally Posted By Cobalt135:

Nope, that is why the site is now creating a "link" out of BS as simple as a typo so they can attempt to harvest the click through sovrn.

like.this  <------------------------


https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/164047/Screenshot_2026-09-24_125129_jpg-3832139.JPG



When posting in that plain text shown above it is converted the following URL on mouse hover after.


https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/164047/Screenshot_2026-09-24_125002_jpg-3832140.JPG
View Quote



So the short links get converted, but plain text fully qualified with https:// don't?

https://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Sea-Imitation-Crabmeat-Packet/dp/B0FH775YW6

edit: although it DID append an "arfcom" tag at the end...

testing...
https://www.yahoo.com/

edit again: sonofabitch.

Final edit: Thanks to Claude Code, it's fixed with an extension in 2 minutes.

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