The Marubo tribe of the Amazon has filed a lawsuit against the New York Times, asserting that an article about their internet access portrayed them negatively and resulted in unjust allegations of pornography addiction. The community seeks substantial damages, claiming the reporting led to a global media backlash that harmed their reputation.**
Amazon Tribe Takes Legal Action Against New York Times for Defamation Over Internet Report**
Amazon Tribe Takes Legal Action Against New York Times for Defamation Over Internet Report**
Marubo tribe claims coverage damaged their reputation, calling for significant damages in lawsuit.**
An Indigenous tribe in the Amazon, the Marubo, has initiated a lawsuit against the New York Times (NYT) over a controversial article concerning their recent access to high-speed internet. The tribe alleges that the NYT's report led to unfounded claims linking its members to pornography addiction and wrongly depicted them as incapable of managing internet exposure.
The defamation case, which also includes media outlets TMZ and Yahoo as defendants, argues that the NYT's portrayal created a “global media storm” that resulted in humiliation and reputational harm for the tribe. They are seeking damages amounting to at least $180 million (£133 million), alleging that the articles misrepresented their community and traditions.
The original NYT piece, published months after the tribe obtained Starlink's satellite internet service from Elon Musk's SpaceX, discussed the challenges faced by the tribe, such as the distractions of technology typical in many modern societies, including "teenagers glued to phones" and issues surrounding minors watching pornography. The report also mentioned concerns voiced by a community leader regarding escalating sexual behaviors among youth.
“It has portrayed us as incapable of handling basic internet exposure,” community leader Enoque Marubo and activist Flora Dutra stated in their lawsuit. They argue that the subsequent media frenzy, triggered by sensational headlines about alleged porn addiction, mischaracterized their community and undermined their dignity.
In response, the NYT emphasized that its article did not state or imply any addiction issues among the Marubo people. The newspaper has committed to aggressively defending the allegations made in the lawsuit. Following the backlash, the NYT released a follow-up article clarifying that extensive misinterpretations had circulated globally regarding the report.
The Marubo tribe, with a population of around 2,000, has expressed concern about the impact of these misrepresentations, which included footage and mockery from other outlets. They argue that these narratives unjustly framed them as facilitating a decline in moral standards due to introducing internet access.
As this case evolves, it positions larger questions about media responsibility, representation of indigenous cultures, and the influence of digital technology in remote communities at the forefront of public discourse.
