VLC media player ban lifted by Indian government

With over 3.5 billion downloads worldwide, VLC is a media player that requires no internet access or connectivity to any particular service to operate.

Hyderabad: Central government on Monday lifted the ban on the VLC Media Player website. Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) of India announced the news first on Twitter and stated that it has helped the company in providing legal support for this issue.

“VICTORY @GoI_MeitY has decided to remove its ban on the website of VLC media player. IFF provided legal support to @videolan throughout this process,” IFF tweeted. It further said those who still cannot access the website, should write to it with their ISP details.

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VICTORY 🎉@GoI_MeitY has decided to remove its ban on the website of VLC media player. IFF provided legal support to @videolan throughout this process. (1/3)#WhatTheBlock pic.twitter.com/pW7APDAbIX

— Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) (@internetfreedom) November 14, 2022

The website was blocked earlier this year. Though there was no official statement announcing the ban, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) reportedly blocked the website as it was being used by China-backed hacking group ‘Cicada’ for cyber-attacks in India.

It is to be noted that throughout this period, only the website was blocked, and mobile apps continued to work fine.

It was reported that the company, however, has even sent a legal notice to the MeitY seeking to know the reasons behind the blocking and that it should be given an opportunity to defend its case via a virtual hearing.

With over 3.5 billion downloads worldwide, VLC is a media player that requires no internet access or connectivity to any particular service to operate.