Tech Talk: The recent blocking of the VLC Media player | International News | WION

if there is a video player that most of us have used then chances are there it is the VLC. It is a convenient media player and can play almost all types of multimedia files. However, the media player appears to have been banned in India.

#techtalk #vlcmediaplayer #worldnews

About Channel:

WION The World is One News, examines global issues with in-depth analysis. We provide much more than the news of the day. Our aim to empower people to explore their world. With our Global headquarters in New Delhi, we bring you news on the hour, by the hour. We deliver information that is not biased. We are journalists who are neutral to the core and non-partisan when it comes to the politics of the world. People are tired of biased reportage and we stand for a globalised united world. So for us the World is truly One.

Please keep discussions on this channel clean and respectful and refrain from using racist or sexist slurs as well as personal insults.

Connect with us on our social media handles:

Follow us on Google News for latest updates

[gautamkumar-liey]

Rather than banning an open-source app, gov should provide patches.

[terimaakigaand]

This is a big mistake by government. VLC is a great media player.

[vizdrom]

It's an open source application and probably runs on donations and goodwill of developers, so anyone who wants to install it can just turn on a VPN and install it. The ban doesn't do anything.
Plus the mobile and TV apps aren't banned.

[neovxr]

India could in fact better help VLC and prevent such a situation.
It is practically the best player for the user and small communities, because it has so many networking abilities to stream and play content actively and passively, and supports many protocols for this kind of use.
But to me as a retired programmer it seems to have a few weaknesses in the code, there are many little bugs here and there, that normal people would not object to.
Therfor, I believe that security issues are thinkable indeed.
Now India has a programming workforce probably unchallenged in the world.
Perhaps some collaboration supported by the government and monitored by a couple of independent meta organisations might restore trust in the eyes of the indian government and everyone else hopefully.
This is just my guess but those who are actively dealing with VLC or with the indian situation, might think about it for a moment.

[jayant]

I was trying to visit vlc site couple of weeks ago. It wouldn't open and I thought the website might be down. Can't even remotely have imagined it being banned by the government. Makes no sense. Yesterday was reading about kerala police ban on helmet cams and now this. India grows crazier by day!!

[funhub]

What!!!!

This is why I can't download it in my new PC
But I use VPN to download it

[jaichhatrapatishivajimahar]

VLC has a Good Equalizer and a Compressor. Either way it depends on your Soundcard and your Amplified Speaker or Headphones.

[nnanarey]

At this rate of banning stuff, we might as well start working on a new windows variant.

[kinnai]

Banning a free, open source multimedia player? Lmao what India?

[arnoldsujankatru]

It's open source fix it if there are vulnerabilities

[asishreddy]

People can still download VLC using a simple VPN. It’s not illegal.

[sudipmaity]

its an open source software...it can't be banned...you can say its website is blocked...which will make it difficult for Windows users to install and update it...but it can't be banned...The governments own linux distros...BOSS LINUX... comes pre installed with VLC...

[IrkyMan]

VLC is the best media player out there. Indian govt. should care more about real problems instead of ban ban ban.

[appse]

It's pretty shameful that most of the high brass or for that matter anyone from India understand a thing about cybersecurity. They just dwell on some people's mindset and their understanding. This is one of most widely used opensource video player in the world and banning it from usage is one of the most mindless, atrocious thing any govt can do. It has Indians as clowns in front of the security world. I believe it is not the first time these guys have done something shameful like this. You could still download the player from the site. Just use some proxy and download the latest version and keep it updated as the VLC team is fantastic and as a fellow contributor of MPC-HC I vouch for the VLC for proactively fixing security issues and updates and patch release faster than most commercial applications. Peace out. Not meant to hurt anyone, I'm just saying the state of India, Indian mindset, Indian political control over free speech and other prevailing democratic issues. It is becoming an autocratic and democrazy based ruling.

[reptilespantoso]

VLC is not a hacking tool. The ban is ridiculous.

[darkhorseman]

There have been using side chain attacks in VLC updates to compromise computers, ut banning it is a bit extreme.

Are they going to ban all software that has had periods of being compromised? Microsoft Windows, next?

[foxsmith]

That sucks I often use that software, glad I already have it

[nikhilpolekar]

I doubt it's a ban, most probably a technical issue followed by series of miscommunication 😅

[krizzy]

I'm now fucking scared of India I could get traumatized because the amount of IT related bans giving me the north korea vibes.

[SB-qmwg]

Banned why? It's open source and multi-OS.