An Indigenous tribe in the Amazon has filed a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times, claiming a report about their access to high-speed internet led to damaging and false portrayals of their community, including claims of pornography addiction, BBC reported on Friday.
The lawsuit, brought by the Marubo people, alleged that the NYT article misrepresented their response to internet access provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink service.
It stated the report suggested the Marubo were “unable to handle basic exposure to the internet” and implied their youth had become “consumed by pornography.”
The lawsuit also named TMZ and Yahoo as defendants, and said their news stories “mocked their youth” and “misrepresented their traditions”.
One TMZ headline reportedly referenced porn addiction, which plaintiffs argue mocked their community and misrepresented their culture.
The NYT maintains that its original report was a “sensitive and nuanced” look at how new technology is affecting remote communities.
It included both challenges such as youth viewing violent content and benefits like improved communication and access to health alerts.
The tribe, numbering about 2,000 members, is seeking at least $180 million in damages.
According to BBC, the NYT’s story, written nine months after the Marubo gained access to Starlink, a satellite-internet service from Elon Musk’s SpaceX, said the tribe was “already grappling with the same challenges that have racked American households for years”.
This included “teenagers glued to phones”, “violent video games” and “minors watching pornography”, the report said.
It stated that a community leader and vocal critic of the internet was “most unsettled by the pornography”, and had been told of “more aggressive sexual behaviour” from young men.
Plaintiffs include Marubo leader Enoque Marubo and Brazilian activist Flora Dutra, who helped introduce Starlink to the community.
They say the media coverage sparked a “global media storm” that led to harassment and harm to their reputations and safety.
A follow-up NYT article later clarified; “No, A Remote Amazon Tribe Did Not Get Addicted to Porn,” noting that over 100 outlets had mischaracterized the original story.
The Marubo claim the coverage, including a TMZ video of antenna distribution, falsely implied they had introduced harmful content to their own people, contributing to a narrative of moral decline.
A spokesperson for the New York Times said, “Any fair reading of this piece shows a sensitive and nuanced exploration of the benefits and complications of new technology in a remote Indigenous village with a proud history and preserved culture.
“We intend to vigorously defend against the lawsuit.”