It streams video through your LAN network so its equivalent client can play it. The name VLC comes from Video Lan Client which was the app’s original purpose.

Real life is satire now days

Google photos made it difficult to download or delete your pictures on purpose. You have to manually select them. There is still a way to get them and it was because of GDPR, when you ask google for the whole data of your account they include the pictures and video from google photos.

The code is so old that their developers are already dead.