[Update: Ban Lifted] VLC Media Player banned in India

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bhp91 said:
Wasn't this because somekind of Chinese spyware was using VLC installations on PC for its job? This has nothing to do with VLC itself but the spyware dll uses VLC on a compromised PC to do it's spying. So the government's solution is to prevent people from using VLC altogether. Kinda stupid solution but then again how else can they fix this mess? Run a antivirus scan on every PC in the country?
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This only happens when you download VLC from an untrusted source and one has to be really stupid (excruciatingly stupid) to download an open-source software from an untrusted source, when the official source comes first on the Google SERP.

Cicada (aka the hackers) is modifying one of the VLC binaries (DLL) to add the functionality they want and then they distribute it. Software hackers/crackers have been doing this since forever. There's no security vulnerability in VLC that one should worry about.

And the retarded Indian government made it more easy for them by banning the official website. Hence, people will be more inclined to download VLC from untrusted sources now than they used to do before, thereby opening up to more hacker abuse.
 
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lockhrt999 said:
Govt must ban Windows too. All viruses use windows runtime to infect windows.

Computers should also be banned. Chinese hackers are using computers to create virus.
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lol, Imagine if government was run by some based ninjas, ban windows, promote linux, ban mobile games not because muh "national security" but because "mobile gamers are not real gamers", banned vlc because mpv was better, that'd be hilarious and based.
 
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letmein said:
It's not about alternatives, it's about the principle of banning anything that you don't like without taking even a moment to think it over.
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I would like to know the information you are privy to which makes you believe that it was done without taking even a moment to think it over.
 
Kevin Lane said:
I would like to know the information you are privy to which makes you believe that it was done without taking even a moment to think it over.
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1. In response to a RTI query, Government says they have no information on why/when this website was blocked.
https://twitter.com/x/status/1539877804116168704
2. Several ISP operators(In a ISP group I am in and on HN) have said, They have received no letters from DoT instructing them to ban videolan.org.

Indian government in general is not known for thinking through these decisions before they just do it and even if they have banned VLC for some weird reason, Why is it so inconsistent that some operators are blocking it and others have not even received orders to block it ?


Furthermore, After a recent judgement, They are required to publish (some types/categories of)court orders when they block a website. There is no order there to ban videolan.org (see, https://dot.gov.in/blocking-notificationsinstructions-internet-service-licensees-under-court-orders)
 
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ishanjain28 said:
Indian government in general is not known for thinking through these decisions before they just do it and even if they have banned VLC for some weird reason, Why is it so inconsistent that some operators are blocking it and others have not even received orders to block it ?
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I agree, in general these people think they have better things to do than to invest time in discussions of such "petty" matters. So they take decisions hastily without much thought.

BTW it seems like the website is unblocked on airtel fiber now.
 
AINDRASIS_GUPTA said:
And the retarded Indian government made it more easy for them by banning the official website. Hence, people will be more inclined to download VLC from untrusted sources now than they used to do before, thereby opening up to more hacker abuse.
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This is typical babu behaviour where the bureaucrats who run the system have no idea what they are doing. The politician tells them - hey this is a problem, fix this. And then they go, okay, done! I highly doubt we will have technically sound/sensible people at the helm ever...
 
I will be in minority, but I won't blame the babus. Their political masters ask for instant solution to a problem without any SWOT analysis. Only when bere is a severe backlash, do the politicians ask the bureaucracy to go deep into the issue and cover their sh!t created by them.
 
Kaleen Bhaiya said:
I will be in minority, but I won't blame the babus. Their political masters ask for instant solution to a problem without any SWOT analysis. Only when bere is a severe backlash, do the politicians ask the bureaucracy to go deep into the issue and cover their sh!t created by them.
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well, I doubt we will get an official statement from them pinning the blame on who ordered what, but we do really need good lawmakers/politicians/bureaucrats who know this stuff. Level headed folks like the ones in forums like TE, for example. Although I highly doubt folks from technology circle going into governance. There are a few, in our govt today but I doubt there are people at positions where they can make an impact. Sadly, doesn't look like there is a single political party with that kind of people. Atleast not in a position of power.
 
karanssh said:
well, I doubt we will get an official statement from them pinning the blame on who ordered what, but we do really need good lawmakers/politicians/bureaucrats who know this stuff. Level headed folks like the ones in forums like TE, for example. Although I highly doubt folks from technology circle going into governance. There are a few, in our govt today but I doubt there are people at positions where they can make an impact. Sadly, doesn't look like there is a single political party with that kind of people. Atleast not in a position of power.
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With the incoming of the incumbent government, bureaucracy have been appointed based on their political ideology and allegiance rather than those with rational minded. And yeah, works across all political spectrum.
The only few I know are S Jaishankar, T. N. Sheshan, Satyendra Dubey. People like Durga Shakti Nagpal, Ashok Khemka, Sangita Kalia did try to do their duty, but they were all punished for the same.
 
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After going through some post here...I am bit worried as I just downloaded from Softonic.
Is it safe?.
I remember it use to be quite popular back in old days . Used it after a long time.
 
Wew didnt know about this and yes vlc website is not opening for me. I tried the check for update and my vlc player updated itself though. Guess i won't be uninstalling it anytime soon.
 
solo_wing said:
After going through some post here...I am bit worried as I just downloaded from Softonic.
Is it safe?.
I remember it use to be quite popular back in old days . Used it after a long time.
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You can always upload the file to some anti-virus site that will put it through several virus checkers.

There can be false positives with this though
 
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solo_wing said:
After going through some post here...I am bit worried as I just downloaded from Softonic.
Is it safe?.
I remember it use to be quite popular back in old days . Used it after a long time.
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I tend to use FossHub or Majorgeeks for my software download. Both host VLC.
 
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Isn't this going against the very "So-called" vision of users not downloading from outside sites. While Softonic has generally been safe, but it defeats the very notion because users will now try to download from malicious sites making their PC more vulnerable to attacks..
Someone in the MeitY definitely had a brain fart!!!
 
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