jbk

President of VideoLAN here.

The issue is two-fold here:

- On Google Search, Google refuses to unlist websites that are clearly promoting adware, spyware and violating the brands of Open Source projects (VLC is not the only one impacted).

In addition, the ads reported are never deleted.

- On Google Chrome, the safe browsing team refuses to flag some websites, even after long explanations about what the binaries are doing. One of the reason is that "the binaries are too big" (sic.). The other reason, is that they scan only the installer, and of course, the installer downloads other things.

This has been going on for years, at least 10.

One of the most egregious one is VLC.de which inundates the German web.

The thing is that it's not that they steal traffic (why would we care), it is that they install spyware, adware or other rootkits, all the time.

This is why I say that Google Safe Browsing is a total joke, and that Google does not care about its users security.

Yay, I (president of VideoLAN), with the help of IFF, managed to get the Indian Minister to remove this block.

It's pretty obvious that this was a mistake on their side, but it tooooook a long time to go around bureaucracy.

It was fixed at least 2 or 3 releases ago.

Enough to start, yes.

I don't think there is.

> Have you tried writing to the large ISPs in India that seem to be blocking your website?

No answers from any of them.

> Will VLC ever have a native dark skin?

yes

> Do you think that was the actual reason or was it something else and they just used that for cover?

I have no clue at all. All this thing feels weird.

That’s indeed my plan…

> What’s your strategy? Do you know if this strategy has seen success in India?

Ask questions to try and get answers and then build a case if needed. And use lawyers if needed.

This does not match the dates of the ban.

The Chinese security issue explanation does not match the dates of the ban.

President of VideoLAN here: it is what I did this weekend with the help of the IFF.

We’ll see what happens next… AMA

The dates don’t match for this explanation.

President of VideoLAN here: it is what I did this weekend with the help of the IFF.

We’ll see what happens next… AMA

And yet, when we submit crapware clones of VLC repackaged, while giving extensive details about the spyware, adware and services installed, MS refuses to block them…

I love Smartscreen…

> Anti-scraping technology is absolutely ridiculous. Modern example: TikTok. Have you seen webmsssdk.js?

What is webmssdk doing?

No one cares :)

No, we don’t.

Wayyy tooo late for that.

lol. I actually checked with them :)

None whatsoever.

No, should we?

> maybe https://pgportal.gov.in should help? File your grievance with the section of the government you want to complain to - in this case, I'd guess that's the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

I will do that again then.

It does

Incorrect, Cicada deployed a custom version of VLC which was hacked.

Use VLC from our website and you’ll be safe.

> It is developed by VideoLAN, a Paris-based firm.

Non-profit, not firm.

> That surprised me because I thought VideoLAN was and is French.

It is a French non-profit whose address is my parents place :)

President of VideoLAN here: we got banned since a few months, and we don’t know why. (According to my stats, it is since the 13 February 2022).

We’ve asked the Indian government and we got no answer. We probably did not ask the right place though. I wish I knew how to ask properly.

The weirdest is that some ISP are blocking it and some are not. So why is that the case? Are some ISP not listening to the government?

VLC and VideoLAN are quite apolitical (we only fight against DRM and for open source) and VLC is a pure tool that can read anything.

PS and SBR notably.