/**
  * Validates submitted setting values before they get saved to the database.
  *
  * @since    1.0
  * @param array $settings
  * @return array
  */
 public function sanitize($settings)
 {
     $new_settings = null;
     if (isset($settings['referrer_spam_list']) && $settings['referrer_spam_list'] != '') {
         $list = $settings['referrer_spam_list'];
         if (!is_array($list)) {
             $list = array_unique(array_map('trim', preg_split("/[\n,]+/", str_replace("\r", "", $list))));
         }
         $new_settings = array('referrer_spam_list' => $list);
     }
     self::$settings = $new_settings;
     WPBRS_Controller_Blocker::filter_referrers_htaccess();
     return $new_settings;
 }