diff --git a/mod/photos.php b/mod/photos.php
index 1b8d5069f8..b4ffb756c1 100644
--- a/mod/photos.php
+++ b/mod/photos.php
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ function photos_post(App $a)
 		}
 
 		// RENAME photo album
-		$newalbum = Strings::escapeTags(trim($_POST['albumname']));
+		$newalbum = trim($_POST['albumname'] ?? '');
 		if ($newalbum != $album) {
 			Photo::update(['album' => $newalbum], ['album' => $album, 'uid' => $page_owner_uid]);
 			// Update the photo albums cache
diff --git a/mod/tagger.php b/mod/tagger.php
index af555790a5..d55e34f78b 100644
--- a/mod/tagger.php
+++ b/mod/tagger.php
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ use Friendica\Model\Item;
 use Friendica\Model\Post;
 use Friendica\Model\Tag;
 use Friendica\Protocol\Activity;
-use Friendica\Util\Strings;
 use Friendica\Util\XML;
 use Friendica\Worker\Delivery;
 
@@ -42,15 +41,15 @@ function tagger_content(App $a) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	$term = Strings::escapeTags(trim($_GET['term']));
+	$term = trim($_GET['term'] ?? '');
 	// no commas allowed
-	$term = str_replace([',',' '],['','_'],$term);
+	$term = str_replace([',',' ', '<', '>'],['','_', '', ''], $term);
 
 	if (!$term) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	$item_id = ((DI::args()->getArgc() > 1) ? Strings::escapeTags(trim(DI::args()->getArgv()[1])) : 0);
+	$item_id = ((DI::args()->getArgc() > 1) ? trim(DI::args()->getArgv()[1]) : 0);
 
 	Logger::notice('tagger: tag ' . $term . ' item ' . $item_id);
 
diff --git a/src/Module/BaseSearch.php b/src/Module/BaseSearch.php
index bccfc94de5..a3e7a8a8cc 100644
--- a/src/Module/BaseSearch.php
+++ b/src/Module/BaseSearch.php
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ class BaseSearch extends BaseModule
 	 */
 	public static function performContactSearch($search, $prefix = '')
 	{
-		$a      = DI::app();
 		$config = DI::config();
 
 		$type = Search::TYPE_ALL;
diff --git a/src/Module/Invite.php b/src/Module/Invite.php
index 566e54b129..65438c1514 100644
--- a/src/Module/Invite.php
+++ b/src/Module/Invite.php
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ class Invite extends BaseModule
 
 
 		$recipients = !empty($_POST['recipients']) ? explode("\n", $_POST['recipients']) : [];
-		$message = !empty($_POST['message']) ? Strings::escapeTags(trim($_POST['message'])) : '';
+		$message = !empty($_POST['message']) ? Strings::escapeHtml(trim($_POST['message'])) : '';
 
 		$total = 0;
 		$invitation_only = false;
diff --git a/src/Module/Search/Directory.php b/src/Module/Search/Directory.php
index 6c898ecd0a..692122155f 100644
--- a/src/Module/Search/Directory.php
+++ b/src/Module/Search/Directory.php
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ use Friendica\Content\Widget;
 use Friendica\DI;
 use Friendica\Module\BaseSearch;
 use Friendica\Module\Security\Login;
-use Friendica\Util\Strings;
 
 /**
  * Directory search module
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ class Directory extends BaseSearch
 			return Login::form();
 		}
 
-		$search = Strings::escapeTags(trim(rawurldecode($_REQUEST['search'] ?? '')));
+		$search = trim(rawurldecode($_REQUEST['search'] ?? ''));
 
 		if (empty(DI::page()['aside'])) {
 			DI::page()['aside'] = '';
diff --git a/src/Module/Search/Index.php b/src/Module/Search/Index.php
index e9086cf587..769d5f90d2 100644
--- a/src/Module/Search/Index.php
+++ b/src/Module/Search/Index.php
@@ -38,13 +38,12 @@ use Friendica\Model\Post;
 use Friendica\Model\Tag;
 use Friendica\Module\BaseSearch;
 use Friendica\Network\HTTPException;
-use Friendica\Util\Strings;
 
 class Index extends BaseSearch
 {
 	public static function content(array $parameters = [])
 	{
-		$search = (!empty($_GET['q']) ? Strings::escapeTags(trim(rawurldecode($_GET['q']))) : '');
+		$search = (!empty($_GET['q']) ? trim(rawurldecode($_GET['q'])) : '');
 
 		if (DI::config()->get('system', 'block_public') && !Session::isAuthenticated()) {
 			throw new HTTPException\ForbiddenException(DI::l10n()->t('Public access denied.'));
@@ -88,7 +87,7 @@ class Index extends BaseSearch
 		$tag = false;
 		if (!empty($_GET['tag'])) {
 			$tag = true;
-			$search = '#' . Strings::escapeTags(trim(rawurldecode($_GET['tag'])));
+			$search = '#' . trim(rawurldecode($_GET['tag']));
 		}
 
 		// contruct a wrapper for the search header
diff --git a/src/Module/Search/Saved.php b/src/Module/Search/Saved.php
index 723860bd80..d5cc15ceea 100644
--- a/src/Module/Search/Saved.php
+++ b/src/Module/Search/Saved.php
@@ -25,14 +25,13 @@ use Friendica\BaseModule;
 use Friendica\Core\Search;
 use Friendica\Database\DBA;
 use Friendica\DI;
-use Friendica\Util\Strings;
 
 class Saved extends BaseModule
 {
 	public static function init(array $parameters = [])
 	{
 		$action = DI::args()->get(2, 'none');
-		$search = Strings::escapeTags(trim(rawurldecode($_GET['term'] ?? '')));
+		$search = trim(rawurldecode($_GET['term'] ?? ''));
 
 		$return_url = $_GET['return_url'] ?? Search::getSearchPath($search);
 
diff --git a/src/Util/Strings.php b/src/Util/Strings.php
index 2f27e4a5ff..1be56d0e78 100644
--- a/src/Util/Strings.php
+++ b/src/Util/Strings.php
@@ -59,22 +59,6 @@ class Strings
 		return !empty($hexCode) ? @preg_match("/^[a-f0-9]{2,}$/i", $hexCode) && !(strlen($hexCode) & 1) : false;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * This is our primary input filter.
-	 *
-	 * Use this on any text input where angle chars are not valid or permitted
-	 * They will be replaced with safer brackets. This may be filtered further
-	 * if these are not allowed either.
-	 *
-	 * @param string $string Input string
-	 * @return string Filtered string
-	 * @deprecated since 2020.09 Please use Smarty default HTML escaping for templates or htmlspecialchars() otherwise
-	 */
-	public static function escapeTags($string)
-	{
-		return str_replace(["<", ">"], ['[', ']'], $string);
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Use this on "body" or "content" input where angle chars shouldn't be removed,
 	 * and allow them to be safely displayed.
diff --git a/tests/src/Util/StringsTest.php b/tests/src/Util/StringsTest.php
index 5adaa9157a..7bfe9906b4 100644
--- a/tests/src/Util/StringsTest.php
+++ b/tests/src/Util/StringsTest.php
@@ -90,10 +90,8 @@ class StringsTest extends TestCase
 	{
 		$invalidstring='<submit type="button" onclick="alert(\'failed!\');" />';
 
-		$validstring = Strings::escapeTags($invalidstring);
 		$escapedString = Strings::escapeHtml($invalidstring);
 
-		self::assertEquals('[submit type="button" onclick="alert(\'failed!\');" /]', $validstring);
 		self::assertEquals(
 			"&lt;submit type=&quot;button&quot; onclick=&quot;alert('failed!');&quot; /&gt;",
 			$escapedString
diff --git a/view/templates/directory_header.tpl b/view/templates/directory_header.tpl
index e277c29dac..7ee38a64a5 100644
--- a/view/templates/directory_header.tpl
+++ b/view/templates/directory_header.tpl
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 <div id="directory-search-wrapper">
 	<form id="directory-search-form" action="{{$search_mod}}" method="get">
-		<span class="dirsearch-desc">{{$desc nofilter}}</span>
+		<span class="dirsearch-desc">{{$desc}}</span>
 		<input type="text" name="search" id="directory-search" class="search-input" onfocus="this.select();" value="{{$search}}" />
 		<input type="submit" name="submit" id="directory-search-submit" value="{{$submit}}" class="button" />
 	</form>
diff --git a/view/theme/frio/templates/directory_header.tpl b/view/theme/frio/templates/directory_header.tpl
index f4c9f0f4b7..cef6208ad0 100644
--- a/view/theme/frio/templates/directory_header.tpl
+++ b/view/theme/frio/templates/directory_header.tpl
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 				<div class="col-md-2"></div>
 				<div class="col-md-8 ">
 					<div class="form-group form-group-search">
-						<input type="text" name="search" id="directory-search" class="search-input form-control form-search" onfocus="this.select();" value="{{$search}}" placeholder="{{$desc nofilter}}"/>
+						<input type="text" name="search" id="directory-search" class="search-input form-control form-search" onfocus="this.select();" value="{{$search}}" placeholder="{{$desc}}"/>
 						<button class="btn btn-default btn-sm form-button-search" type="submit" id="directory-search-submit">{{$submit}}</button>
 					</div>
 				</div>