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John Jackson
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Asked: 2024-05-03T09:45:00+00:00 In:

Why was VLC banned?

I’ve been thinking about the news of ban on VLC media player and it’s left me with some questions. What exactly led to VLC being banned? Was there a specific incident or concern that prompted this decision? I’m curious about the reasons behind the ban and how it will impact users who rely on VLC for their media playback needs. Additionally, are there any alternative media players that are recommended as a replacement for VLC? It would be helpful to know if there are other options available that offer similar features and functionality. If anyone has insights or information about the VLC ban, I would greatly appreciate it if you could share what you know.

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1 Answer

  1. Mehmet Akar
    Best Answer
    Enlightened
    This answer was edited.

    VLC media player was temporarily banned in India by internet service providers on February 2022, likely due to cybersecurity concerns raised by the Indian Ministry of Electronics and IT. Then, on Nowember 2022, the ban lifted by the Indian governemnt. However, the specific reasons for the ban were not made public initially but I will give some information below.

    The key points are:

    1. India banned downloads of the popular open-source VLC media player starting in February 2022 without giving a clear reason.
    2. It is suspected the ban was related to alleged vulnerabilities in VLC that were being exploited by Chinese hackers, according to cyber experts.
    3. VLC went through a legal process and appeals, addressing the government’s concerns over several months.
    4. In November 2022, after VLC sent a legal notice, the Indian government finally met with VLC and explained the ban was due to “bad actors” interacting with the VLC website.
    5. After this meeting where VLC’s arguments were heard, the Indian government lifted the ban on VLC in November 2022.

    You can get more details at this article: https://techcrunch.com/Indian-BAN

    So in summary, while no official reason was initially provided, the temporry ban on VLC in India seems to have stemmed from cybersecurity concerns around potential vulnerabilities, until VLC was able to get those issues addressed to the government’s satisfaction, leading to the ban being rescinded.

    So, for now, there does not left any ban issue. You can be relax about it 🙂