diff --git a/src/components/sectionList/filters/filterSelectors/ConstantSelectionFilter.tsx b/src/components/sectionList/filters/filterSelectors/ConstantSelectionFilter.tsx
index 64647e71..b6932eef 100644
--- a/src/components/sectionList/filters/filterSelectors/ConstantSelectionFilter.tsx
+++ b/src/components/sectionList/filters/filterSelectors/ConstantSelectionFilter.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ type ConstantSelectionFilterProps = {
     constants: Record<string, string>
     filterKey: FilterKey
     filterable?: boolean
+    formatFilter?: (filter: string | undefined) => string | undefined
 }
 
 export const ConstantSelectionFilter = ({
@@ -17,10 +18,15 @@ export const ConstantSelectionFilter = ({
     filterKey,
     label,
     filterable,
+    formatFilter,
 }: ConstantSelectionFilterProps) => {
     const [filter, setFilter] = useSectionListFilter(filterKey)
 
-    const selected = Array.isArray(filter) ? filter[0] : filter
+    let selected = Array.isArray(filter) ? filter[0] : filter
+    if (formatFilter) {
+        selected = formatFilter(selected)
+    }
+
     const isInOptions =
         selected && constants[selected as keyof typeof constants]
 
diff --git a/src/components/sectionList/filters/filterSelectors/PublicAccessFilter.tsx b/src/components/sectionList/filters/filterSelectors/PublicAccessFilter.tsx
index e5e0df45..f9111c93 100644
--- a/src/components/sectionList/filters/filterSelectors/PublicAccessFilter.tsx
+++ b/src/components/sectionList/filters/filterSelectors/PublicAccessFilter.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 import i18n from '@dhis2/d2-i18n'
 import React from 'react'
+import { formatPublicAccess, parsePublicAccessString } from '../../../../lib'
 import { ConstantSelectionFilter } from './ConstantSelectionFilter'
 
+// currently we only care about metadata access
+// we may want to revist this and potentially rename to "publicMetadataAccess"
+// and have another component for data access
 const constants = {
     'rw------': 'Public can edit',
     'r-------': 'Public can view',
@@ -9,11 +13,27 @@ const constants = {
 }
 
 export const PublicAccessFilter = () => {
+    const formatFilter = (filter: string | undefined) => {
+        if (!filter) {
+            return undefined
+        }
+        const parsedPublicAccessString = parsePublicAccessString(filter)
+        if (!parsedPublicAccessString) {
+            return undefined
+        }
+        const withoutDataAccess = formatPublicAccess({
+            metadata: parsedPublicAccessString.metadata,
+            data: { read: false, write: false },
+        })
+        return withoutDataAccess
+    }
+
     return (
         <ConstantSelectionFilter
             label={i18n.t('Public access')}
             filterKey="publicAccess"
             constants={constants}
+            formatFilter={formatFilter}
         />
     )
 }
diff --git a/src/components/sectionList/filters/useFilterKeys.tsx b/src/components/sectionList/filters/useFilterKeys.tsx
index e19f165b..ab7425ed 100644
--- a/src/components/sectionList/filters/useFilterKeys.tsx
+++ b/src/components/sectionList/filters/useFilterKeys.tsx
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ import {
 } from '../../../lib'
 import { useModelListView } from '../listView'
 
+/**
+ * Get the filterKeys for for which filters to show.
+ * This depends on the current "modelList" view, and selected filters with values in the url */
 export const useFilterKeys = () => {
     const [filters] = useSectionListFilters()
     const { filters: viewFilters } = useModelListView()
diff --git a/src/lib/models/index.ts b/src/lib/models/index.ts
index 725e338c..b7d55ba4 100644
--- a/src/lib/models/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/models/index.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
 export { isValidUid } from './uid'
-export { parsePublicAccessString } from './parsePublicAccess'
+export {
+    parsePublicAccessString,
+    formatPublicAccess,
+} from './parsePublicAccess'
 export { getIn, stringToPathArray, getFieldFilterFromPath } from './path'
diff --git a/src/lib/models/parsePublicAccess.ts b/src/lib/models/parsePublicAccess.ts
index 44e7ea7b..968cae63 100644
--- a/src/lib/models/parsePublicAccess.ts
+++ b/src/lib/models/parsePublicAccess.ts
@@ -26,10 +26,24 @@ export const parsePublicAccessString = (
     if (!matches) {
         return null
     }
-    const [_, metadata, data] = matches
+    const [, metadata, data] = matches
 
     return {
         metadata: parseAccessPart(metadata),
         data: parseAccessPart(data),
     }
 }
+
+const accessPartToString = (accessPart: PublicAccessPart): string => {
+    if (accessPart.write) {
+        return 'rw'
+    }
+    return accessPart.read ? 'r-' : '--'
+}
+
+export const formatPublicAccess = (publicAccess: PublicAccess): string => {
+    const metadata = accessPartToString(publicAccess.metadata)
+    const data = accessPartToString(publicAccess.data)
+
+    return metadata + data + '----'
+}