• The Marubo tribe has filed a defamation lawsuit against the New York Times.
• The lawsuit claims the Times’ report misrepresented the tribe as technology-addled and addicted to pornography.
• The plaintiffs seek at least $180 million in damages from the Times, TMZ, and Yahoo.
• The original reporting sparked negative global media portrayal of the tribe.
• NYT defends its report as a nuanced exploration of technology's impacts on remote communities.

The Marubo Tribe from the Brazilian Amazon has initiated a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, asserting that an article detailing their community’s introduction to the internet portrayed them as addicted to pornography. The tribe contends that this misrepresentation has severely damaged their social standing and reputation, with legal filings seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in damages in a Los Angeles court. The lawsuit also names TMZ and Yahoo as defendants for allegedly amplifying the damaging narrative, according to Indiatimes, BBC, and Channel News Asia.

The controversy stems from a June 2024 article by reporter Jack Nicas, which characterized the Marubo Tribe as struggling with the effects of newly available satellite internet from Elon Musk's Starlink. The tribe's lawsuit alleges that the reporting suggested they were “unable to handle basic exposure to the internet,” citing damaging claims about youth being “consumed by pornography.” This portrayal, as per the plaintiffs, led to significant humiliation and irreparable harm to their reputations, Indiatimes, BBC, and Channel News Asia.

The Marubo Tribe, which comprises approximately 2,000 members, states that the ramifications of the Times' narrative extended beyond reputation, claiming that it “destroyed lives, institutions, and culturally significant projects.” The lawsuit particularly highlights the sensationalism brought on by outlets like TMZ, which allegedly mischaracterized the tribe and circulated headlines that could mislead the public. A statement from a Times spokesperson asserts that a "fair reading" of the article reflects a balanced examination of the complexities faced by remote communities in light of new technology, as noted in BBC and Channel News Asia.

The tribe's complaint, filed by leaders including community figure Enoque Marubo and journalist Flora Dutra, emphasizes the broader implications of the negative publicity, stating, "It created the unmistakable impression that we had introduced harmful, sexually explicit material into the community." They assert that the fallout from the media narrative has subjected them to "humiliation" and "harassment," with estimates of at least $180 million sought in damages from the defendants. While the New York Times later published a follow-up article to clarify misconceptions about the Marubo, the tribe asserts that this response did not address the original report's negative framing, as cited by Indiatimes and BBC.