In India and other markets, VLC Media Player has been among the most well-liked programs. VLC is a tool or piece of software that, as its name implies, can be used to play videos, movies, TV shows, etc. It is said that India has outlawed the software, which was created by the VideoLAN Project.
According to a MediaNama report (via), the ban was implemented a few months ago. However, neither VideoLAN nor the authorities provided any information regarding the ban.
India has outlawed access to the official VLC media player website, www.videolan.org. Surprisingly, customers can still download it from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. On their Windows computers, users can also download the software from various other sources. It should work flawlessly if the software is already on your device.
Why is India’s VLC Media Player Banned?
The ban in India was not formally announced by the government or by VideoLAN, nor were any specifics made public. When you access the official website through a well-known ISP in India, it does not load. But if you select a VPN server, you can access the VideoLAN website and download VLC straight from the source.
According to the MediaNama report, the VideoLAN app was prohibited around five months ago. The soft ban may have gone unnoticed because the app was accessible through the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
According to the report, the government may have prohibited downloading VLC from its official website because, according to some cybersecurity experts, the Chinese hacker group Cicada used VLC to spread malware.
According to reports, the Chinese government supported the attack. Numerous organizations engaged in political, legal, and religious activities have been targeted by Cicada. Over the years, the hacker group has also targeted NGOs.
More About detailed information
The list of apps prohibited in India since 2020 now includes VLC. VLC’s creator, VideoLAN, is based in Paris. Notably, it is one of the incredibly few apps prohibited in India that was not created by a Chinese firm.
The country currently forbids access to the VLC Media Player website and download link. Simply put, this indicates that nobody in the nation can use the platform for any kind of work. Users who have the software installed on their devices appear to experience this. All significant ISPs, as well as ACTFibernet, Jio, Vodafone-idea, and others, are allegedly prohibited from using VLC Media Player.
In 2020, the Indian government outlawed hundreds of Chinese apps, including PUBG Mobile, TikTok, Camscanner, and others. India recently banned the recently removed BGMI version of PUBG Mobile from the Apple App store and Google Play store.
Because the government believed the platforms were sending user data to China, it decided to block these apps. Importantly, a Chinese company does not provide support for VLC Media Player. It was made by the French business VideoLAN.