diff --git a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.tsx b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.tsx
index 30d5ac3bc..9f50b53c2 100644
--- a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.tsx
+++ b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsComponent.tsx
@@ -687,13 +687,6 @@ export class SettingsComponent extends React.Component<SettingsComponentProps, S
     this.setState({ isComputedPropertiesDirty: isComputedPropertiesDirty });
 
   private onDataMaskingContentChange = (newDataMasking: DataModels.DataMaskingPolicy): void => {
-    if (!newDataMasking.excludedPaths) {
-      newDataMasking.excludedPaths = [];
-    }
-    if (!newDataMasking.includedPaths) {
-      newDataMasking.includedPaths = [];
-    }
-
     const validationErrors = [];
     if (newDataMasking.includedPaths === undefined || newDataMasking.includedPaths === null) {
       validationErrors.push("includedPaths is required");
diff --git a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.tsx b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.tsx
index 2dcc0f458..61ac40931 100644
--- a/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.tsx
+++ b/src/Explorer/Controls/Settings/SettingsSubComponents/DataMaskingComponent.tsx
@@ -22,14 +22,7 @@ interface DataMaskingComponentState {
 }
 
 const emptyDataMaskingPolicy: DataModels.DataMaskingPolicy = {
-  includedPaths: [
-    {
-      path: "/",
-      strategy: "Default",
-      startPosition: 0,
-      length: -1,
-    },
-  ],
+  includedPaths: [],
   excludedPaths: [],
 };