Months after the Indian government banned VLC Media Player in India, the parent company of the app sent a strongly-worded letter to the Indian government. The company says that it should be provided with a reason for the block and an opportunity to defend itself.
Do you know that VLC, a media player used by millions of users here, is currently banned in India? In March, the Indian government reportedly banned VLC Media Player without specifying any reason and without giving VideoLAN, the developer of VLC, an opportunity to contest the ban. While there are places on internet from where Indian users can download VLC because it is an open-source software and available widely, the main website of VideoLAN is banned in India. Now, the VLC maker has shot off a strongly-worded letter to the Indian government, threatening legal action.
The letter, sent by VLC-maker VideoLAN to Department of Telecom (DoT) and MEiTY, notes that the ban is illogical because it cites no reason and because the developer of the VLC wasn’t even informed about it. The company is claiming that it received no official notice from the government regarding the removal of its service before its app was banned. Similarly, it was also not given a chance to argue its case before the ban, something that went against India’s 2009 rules that govern blocking of apps and websites as well was contrary to the law laid down by the Supreme Court.
The news of VideoLAN sending a legal notice to the Indian government was first highlighted by Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) of India, an organisation that keeps an eye on policy matter related to internet use in India.
According to a RTI filed by IFF several months ago, the VLC Media Player was banned by the Indian government back in March this year. Recently, however, the ban again became a talk on socila media after India Today Tech reported about it. Currently, if Indian internet users try to access the VideoLAN website, they get the following message:
“Your requested URL has been blocked as per the directions received from the Department of Telecommunications Government of India.”
In the legal notice, VideoLAN has asked the DoT to give reasoning in an official letter on why the VLC Media Player has been banned in India, It also notes that it should be given an opportunity to defend its case through a virtual hearing. The company says that Indian government should provide it:
— copy of the reasoned blocking order issued for blocking of the the URL; and
— an opportunity to defend my case through a virtual hearing.
The letter then notes that if the Indian government fails to provide a reasoning of the ban, VideoLan will be “entitled and compelled to initiate legal proceedings against you, for failing to protect our rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of India, for violation of your obligations under international law, and for breach of your own Rules.”
Calling out the hypocrisy of the ban, VideoLAN in its letter highlights that Indian government itself recommends VLC as a key open-source app for use in its departments. The company says that before it was banned, VLC consistently saw around 25 million downloads in India every year.