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An indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest has filed a lawsuit against the New York Times (NYT), claiming that a report about their newly acquired access to high-speed internet portrayed them in a damaging light, leading to harmful stereotypes of their youth as being addicted to pornography. The suit asserts that the NYT's article depicted the Marubo tribe as "unable to handle basic exposure to the internet," while highlighting allegations that some young members had become preoccupied with pornographic content.
The lawsuit also includes well-known media outlets TMZ and Yahoo, alleging that they contributed to the misrepresentation of the tribe's culture and traditions through mocking articles. According to NYT representatives, their original piece did not suggest any addiction to pornography among tribe members.
The Marubo community, which consists of about 2,000 individuals, is demanding at least $180 million in compensation. The NYT's coverage came nine months after the tribe had begun using Starlink, a satellite internet service provided by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The article discussed the pitfalls of technology, noting issues familiar to American families, including teenagers frequently on their phones, exposure to violent video games, and minors viewing pornography.
The report also mentioned concerns from a tribal leader critical of the internet, highlighting instances of "more aggressive sexual behavior" among the youth. While the article addressed the potential benefits of the internet—such as improved communication with family and a means to report health and environmental concerns—the lawsuit claims the initial narrative set off a "global media storm" that subjected its leaders to humiliation and harassment.
In response to the widespread backlash, the New York Times issued a follow-up article titled “No, A Remote Amazon Tribe Did Not Get Addicted to Porn.” It stated that over 100 news websites had incorrectly suggested that the Marubo tribe had developed a pornography addiction. However, the plaintiffs claimed that the original NYT report painted the Marubo as incapable of handling the internet appropriately.
Individual plaintiffs Enoque Marubo, a community leader, and Flora Dutra, a Brazilian activist, argued that their actions to facilitate access to Starlink antennas were misinterpreted, reinforcing damaging stereotypes about the community. A spokesperson for the New York Times expressed their commitment to defending against the lawsuit, asserting that their original piece presented a thorough examination of the impacts of technology in the Marubo’s culturally rich community.
An indigenous tribe in the Amazon rainforest has filed a lawsuit against the New York Times (NYT), claiming that a report about their newly acquired access to high-speed internet portrayed them in a damaging light, leading to harmful stereotypes of their youth as being addicted to pornography. The suit asserts that the NYT's article depicted the Marubo tribe as "unable to handle basic exposure to the internet," while highlighting allegations that some young members had become preoccupied with pornographic content.
The lawsuit also includes well-known media outlets TMZ and Yahoo, alleging that they contributed to the misrepresentation of the tribe's culture and traditions through mocking articles. According to NYT representatives, their original piece did not suggest any addiction to pornography among tribe members.
The Marubo community, which consists of about 2,000 individuals, is demanding at least $180 million in compensation. The NYT's coverage came nine months after the tribe had begun using Starlink, a satellite internet service provided by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The article discussed the pitfalls of technology, noting issues familiar to American families, including teenagers frequently on their phones, exposure to violent video games, and minors viewing pornography.
The report also mentioned concerns from a tribal leader critical of the internet, highlighting instances of "more aggressive sexual behavior" among the youth. While the article addressed the potential benefits of the internet—such as improved communication with family and a means to report health and environmental concerns—the lawsuit claims the initial narrative set off a "global media storm" that subjected its leaders to humiliation and harassment.
In response to the widespread backlash, the New York Times issued a follow-up article titled “No, A Remote Amazon Tribe Did Not Get Addicted to Porn.” It stated that over 100 news websites had incorrectly suggested that the Marubo tribe had developed a pornography addiction. However, the plaintiffs claimed that the original NYT report painted the Marubo as incapable of handling the internet appropriately.
Individual plaintiffs Enoque Marubo, a community leader, and Flora Dutra, a Brazilian activist, argued that their actions to facilitate access to Starlink antennas were misinterpreted, reinforcing damaging stereotypes about the community. A spokesperson for the New York Times expressed their commitment to defending against the lawsuit, asserting that their original piece presented a thorough examination of the impacts of technology in the Marubo’s culturally rich community.
