After website ban, VLC downloads in India dropped to 10%: Jean-Baptiste Kempf

India has the highest number of VLC Media Player users, and the blocking of its website has directly translated into fewer downloads from the country as well as a drop in overall visits to its website, Jean-Baptiste Kempf, president of VideoLAN and lead developer of the media player told Moneycontrol.

"Since the blocking, the download rates from our website are now 10% compared to our previous downloads in India," Kempf said in response to a query.

Overall, Kempf said, there has been a 10 to 12 percent decrease in site visitors since the blockage began.

VideoLAN org, the non-profit that runs VLC Media Player, sent a legal notice to the department of telecommunications and the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) a few days ago after the government blocked the URL from which the software is downloaded.

According to the legal notice, their website was blocked since March 2022. They protested the lack of transparency in the blocking orders and asked the government to provide the order as well as an opportunity to defend their case.

However, Kempf clarified via email that they ultimately want their website unblocked and will wait two weeks for the government's response.

In the legal notice, VideoLAN threatens legal action against the government if a copy of the order is not provided and offers a virtual hearing.

"I have no idea about the Indian political situation, but what I don't understand is the lack of transparency and the lack of explanations given to us," Kempf said in response to a query.

This exclamation was also included in the legal notice, in which Kempf stated that despite the fact that the website had been blocked for over six months, the reasons for this had not been communicated to them.

According to Rule 8 of the IT Rules 2009 (Blocking Rules) and a Supreme Court ruling, government officers who issue blocking orders must notify such a person and provide a hearing before the concerned authority.