Several social media users - including Tesla CEO and X (formerly Twitter) chairperson Elon Musk - shared reports and posts calling out The New York Times for their report on the Marubo tribe in Brazil's Amazon rainforest and Starlink, Musk's satellite providing internet services.
What did users say?: Those sharing the posts claimed that NYT had published a report, which stated that the tribe, which was able to access the internet thanks to Starlink, was "addicted" to pornography.
An archive of this post can be seen here.
(Source: X/Screenshot)
Sharing this post by an X user, Musk commented, "It was disrespectful and unkind of The New York Times to say that about the tribe."
Musk commented on the viral claim.
(Source: X/Screenshot)
Media reports: Several Indian and international news organisations also published reports claiming that the Marubo tribe was "hooked" onto pornography after gaining access to the internet due to Starlink.
These organisations include NDTV, News18, Times Now, Hindustan Times, and The New York Post, among others.
(Swipe to view some screenshots.)
But...?: The article that the viral claim is based carries a statement by one of the tribe's members, who expresses concern about teenagers consuming and sharing pornography.
In itself, the report does not explicitly state that the tribe is “addicted” to pornography.
How did we find out the truth?: We used the headline in the post that Musk commented on as our keywords, which led us to the NYT article in question.
This report, published on 11 June, mentioned that their story about a tribe in Brazil receiving internet "spiraled into its own cautionary tale."
The report mentioned that the tribe was not "addicted to porn."
(Source: The New York Times/Screenshot)
The report also carried a statement by a Marubo leader, Enoque Marubo, where he dispelled the "fake news".
It also linked to its original report by journalist Jack Nicas, where we found two mentions of pornography.
The first mentioned the current and potential challenges of Starlink on the Marubo youth, primarily scams, social media, misinformation, and "minors watching pornography."
The report mentioned that minors were watching pornography.
(Source: The New York Times/Screenshot)
This paragraph carries the only mention of addiction, where the report highlights the "addictive" nature of social networks.
The second mention found its place in a voice of concern by Alfredo Marubo, described as "the tribe's most vocal critic of the internet."
Alfredo was "unsettled" by the pornography, the report noted, expressing concerns over the "young people" wanting to try the graphic sex they were seeing in pornographic videos.
Alfredo expressed concerns about his fellow tribespeople consuming pornography.
(Source: The New York Times/Screenshot)
Conclusion: The New York Times did not publish a report stating that Musk's Starlink had caused an addiction to pornography in the Marubo tribe in the Amazon.
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