The government Thursday directed Internet service providers to block 827 websites that host pornographic content following an order by the Uttarakhand High Court. While the Uttarakhand High Court has asked to block 857 websites, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) found 30 portals without any pornographic content.
Meity asked the Department of Telecom (DoT) to block 827 websites named in the list issued as part of the order, sources said. “… all the internet service licensees are instructed to take immediate necessary action for blocking of 827 websites as per the direction from Meity and for the compliance of the Hon’ble High Court order,” the Department of Telecom said in an order issued to internet service providers.
The high court order was issued on September 27, 2018, and it was received by Meity on October 8. This followed the August 4 order from DoT, which had instructed internet service providers to disable those websites which hold child pornographic block 827 websites content. The original complaint was taken up by the Uttarakhand High Court in May.
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The provision under the IT Rules 2021 invoked by MeitY mandates Internet service providers to remove or disable access to content hosted, stored, or published by them that “shows a such individual in full or partial nudity or shows or depicts such individual in any sexual act or conduct”. The government later relented, and the ban on the sites was lifted, saying that only child porn needs to be blocked.
