Amazon tribes are outraged by reports that the internet has made them addicted to porn, so they're suing the New York Times
The Amazonian Marbo tribe, who were interviewed in the New York Times article 'Amazonian tribes plagued by pornography after first accessing the internet,' have filed a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times and other organizations.
Amazonian tribe that received Starlink satellite internet cries foul over NY Times story | Courthouse News Service
Amazon Tribe Sues New York Times for $180 Million Over Internet-Access Story That Sparked Porn Addiction Reports
https://www.thewrap.com/amazon-tribe-sues-new-york-times-for-180-million-over-internet-access-story-that-sparked-porn-addiction-reports/
The Marbo are a tribe of about 2,000 people living in 20 villages scattered throughout the Amazon. Some of the villages are in isolated locations and used radio waves as a means of communication, but since the introduction of the satellite internet service 'Starlink' in 2022, the world has changed dramatically, and the villages have begun to communicate not only with each other but also with the whole world.
Starlink finally connects tribes in the Amazon to the Internet, but elders are worried about young people changing with social media and pornography - GIGAZINE
Nikas Jacques of The New York Times, who interviewed the Malbo tribe, wrote in a June 2, 2024 article , 'What worries Alfredo Malbo, leader of the Malbo Village Association, is pornography. Young men are sharing explicit videos in group chats, which is surprising in a Malbo culture that abhors kissing in public.'
Based on these interviews, The New York Times reported, 'Just nine months after adopting Starlink, the Marbos are facing the same challenges that have plagued American families for years: teenagers glued to their phones, gossipy group chats, addictive social networks, online strangers, violent video games, scams, misinformation and minors watching pornography.'
After the above article was published, a news outlet called TMZ published an article titled 'Starlink Encounters Turn Tribe Into Porn Addicts!'
In response to TMZ's sensationalist claim that the tribe had become addicted to pornography because of the Internet, tribal leaders issued a statement saying, 'These allegations are baseless, untrue and disrespectful of our autonomy and identity. The New York Times article has overemphasized the negative aspects of the Internet and has only served to spread a distorted and harmful image.'
In response to this, Jack republished an article dated June 11, 2024, stating, 'I reported that a Malbo leader said that young people are sharing pornographic images, but the Malbo are not addicted to pornography, there are no signs of it, and the New York Times article did not say anything like that,' and criticized outside media for sensationalizing the headline .
The uproar seemed to have calmed down, but in May 2025, Enoch Malbo, one of the leaders of the Malbo tribe, and Flora Dutra, a Brazilian activist who also worked to introduce Starlink to the tribe, filed a lawsuit against the New York Times, TMZ, and Yahoo, which published related articles. It has become an issue again.
Dutra and his team say the New York Times portrayed the Malbo people as a community that could not tolerate even basic access to the Internet, and emphasized the claim that young people in particular became addicted to pornography soon after gaining access to the Internet. They claim that the tribe's reputation has been tarnished, and are seeking $180 million in damages.
In addition, the plaintiffs point out that the New York Times published an article criticizing outside media outlets, 'failed to acknowledge its own role in fueling the defamatory narrative, and by shifting the blame to outside sources rather than issuing a retraction or apology, downplayed the original article's emphasis on pornography.'
In response, the New York Times released a statement emphasizing its firm defense, saying, 'A fair reading of this story reveals a sensitive and nuanced exploration of the benefits and complexities of a new technology in a remote indigenous village that retains a proud history and culture.'
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