Elon Musk has responded to a New York Times article that claimed that the internet provided by his satellite-based internet company Starlink has changed the behaviour pattern of a tribe living in isolation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. The article also claimed that some young people from the Marubo tribe have started watching pornographic content, playing video games and using social media excessively.

Media outlets around the world published articles discussing how Musk’s Starlink led people to pornography. The Marubo tribe and their access to Starlink internet and its impact This issue started being discussed all over the world.

“It was disrespectful and unkind of the New York Times to say this about the tribe,” Tesla co-founder Elon Musk wrote on X. Musk also owns Starlink.

Musk’s post comes after another article written by the New York Times on June 11 titled: ‘No, remote Amazon tribe not addicted to porn.’ The article tried to argue that media outlets botched the porn part of the article and that the NYT report was based on allegations from a tribal leader.

“The Marubo people do not have an addiction to pornography. There was no sign of it in the forest, and there was no hint of it in the New York Times article either,” the article reads. “Instead, the article cited a Marubo leader’s complaint that some Marubo minors had shared pornography in a WhatsApp group chat. He said this was particularly worrying, as Marubo culture frowns upon even kissing in public”.

The updated article adds, “Many of the sites distorting this narrative are news aggregators, meaning their business model is built primarily around repackaging the reporting of other news organizations, often with sensationalist headlines, to sell advertising. Because these sites also link to original reporting, they are generally legally protected even if they misrepresent the content.”

“These claims are baseless and false and reflect a prejudiced ideology that disrespects our autonomy and identity,” Marubo leader Enock Marubo said in a video posted on Instagram.

Musk posted a screenshot of this clarification article on his X handle. He also shared how the previous article was false, but it has been corrected, and the publication has apologized and acknowledged Starlink’s contribution to healthcare, education, business, and communication.