diff --git a/app/services/discovery_engine/query/filter_expression_helpers.rb b/app/services/discovery_engine/query/filter_expression_helpers.rb
index e043b8e..c15ad73 100644
--- a/app/services/discovery_engine/query/filter_expression_helpers.rb
+++ b/app/services/discovery_engine/query/filter_expression_helpers.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ module FilterExpressionHelpers
     # values in string_value_or_values
     def filter_any_string(string_or_array_field, string_value_or_values)
       Array(string_value_or_values)
-        .map { escape_and_quote(_1) }
+        .map { quote(_1) }
         .join(",")
         .then { "#{string_or_array_field}: ANY(#{_1})" }
     end
@@ -69,9 +69,8 @@ def parenthesize(expression)
       "(#{expression})"
     end
 
-    def escape_and_quote(string_value)
-      escaped_string = string_value.gsub(/(["\\])/, '\\\\\1')
-      "\"#{escaped_string}\""
+    def quote(string_value)
+      "\"#{string_value}\""
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/services/discovery_engine/query/filters.rb b/app/services/discovery_engine/query/filters.rb
index 972eb28..c98167a 100644
--- a/app/services/discovery_engine/query/filters.rb
+++ b/app/services/discovery_engine/query/filters.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 module DiscoveryEngine::Query
   class Filters
     FILTER_PARAM_KEY_REGEX = /\A(filter_all|filter|reject)_(.+)\z/
+    ACCEPTABLE_VALUE_REGEX = /\A[a-zA-Z0-9_:,\-\/]+\z/
 
     FILTERABLE_STRING_FIELDS = %w[
       content_purpose_supergroup
@@ -70,9 +71,11 @@ def valid_filter_value?(value)
       # for the time being. This ensures that occasionally observed garbage parameters such as:
       #
       #   filter_world_locations[\\\\]=all
+      #   filter_something=blah%00blah
       #
-      # are ignored by checking that the value is either a string or an array of strings.
-      Array(value).all? { _1.is_a?(String) }
+      # are ignored by checking that the value is either a string or an array of strings, and
+      # matches an allowlist of permissible characters.
+      Array(value).all? { _1.is_a?(String) && _1.match?(ACCEPTABLE_VALUE_REGEX) }
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/services/discovery_engine/query/filters_spec.rb b/spec/services/discovery_engine/query/filters_spec.rb
index 9431fff..70be08c 100644
--- a/spec/services/discovery_engine/query/filters_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/services/discovery_engine/query/filters_spec.rb
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@
 
         it { is_expected.to be_nil }
       end
+
+      context "with invalid characters in the filter value" do
+        let(:query_params) { { q: "garden centres", reject_link: "foo\u0000bar" } }
+
+        it { is_expected.to be_nil }
+      end
     end
 
     context "with an 'any' string filter" do
@@ -65,6 +71,12 @@
         it { is_expected.to be_nil }
       end
 
+      context "with invalid characters in the filter value" do
+        let(:query_params) { { q: "garden centres", filter_link: "foo\u0000bar" } }
+
+        it { is_expected.to be_nil }
+      end
+
       context "with an unknown field" do
         let(:query_params) { { q: "garden centres", filter_foo: "bar" } }
 
@@ -101,6 +113,12 @@
         it { is_expected.to be_nil }
       end
 
+      context "with invalid characters in the filter value" do
+        let(:query_params) { { q: "garden centres", filter_all_link: "foo\u0000bar" } }
+
+        it { is_expected.to be_nil }
+      end
+
       context "with an unknown field" do
         let(:query_params) { { q: "garden centres", filter_all_foo: "bar" } }
 
@@ -177,11 +195,5 @@
 
       it { is_expected.to eq('(NOT link: ANY("/foo")) AND (content_purpose_supergroup: ANY("services")) AND ((part_of_taxonomy_tree: ANY("cafe-1234")) AND (part_of_taxonomy_tree: ANY("face-5678"))) AND (public_timestamp: IN(629510400,629596799))') }
     end
-
-    context "with filters containing escapable characters" do
-      let(:query_params) { { q: "garden centres", filter_content_purpose_supergroup: "foo\"\\bar" } }
-
-      it { is_expected.to eq('content_purpose_supergroup: ANY("foo\\"\\\\bar")') }
-    end
   end
 end