New Delhi: Following an order by the Uttarakhand high court to block 857 pornographic websites, the government has directed Internet service providers to block 827 websites. The remaining 30 portals were spared as they were without any pornographic content, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (Meity) 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.

Meity received the order, which was issued by the high court on September 27, 2018, on October 8.

Meity informed the DoT that the Uttarakhand high court has ordered for blocking 857 websites contained in an old notice of DoT dated July 31, 2015.

The DoT had changed its order on August 4, 2015, to ISP saying that the ISPs are free not to disable any of the 857 web links which do not have child pornographic content.

With inputs from PTI