Just nine months after Elon Musk's Starlink connected a reclusive Brazilian tribe to the internet, the members of the tribe have been divided due to a very unusual reason - porn. Reportedly, the elders of Brazil's 2,000-member Marubo tribe are angry because after getting the internet, the younger members of the group became hooked on porn and social media.
According to WION, the tribe has very specific rules and customs. The conservative group doesn't allow their members to even kiss in public. Now, with access to pornographic content, the elders are worried that the age-old customs of the tribe would be impacted.
The Marubo people live along the Ituí River deep in the Amazon rainforest, reported New York Times (NYT). They speak their own language and live in huts scattered along the river. They reportedly trap spider monkeys to either keep as pets or make soups. For hundreds of years, this tribe has remained isolated and preserved a similar way of life. However, this closed tribe's sudden access to the internet has caused unexpected problems that no one saw coming.
"When it arrived, everyone was happy," 73-year-old Tsainama Marubo told NYT. "But now, things have gotten worse," she added.
"Young people have gotten lazy because of the internet," she said, adding, "They're learning the ways of the white people." She later told the outlet, "But please don't take our internet away."
Besides porn and social media, the tribe is also dealing with other issues where the youngsters are getting exposed to scams, misinformation, and violent games, reported the outlet. For now, the leaders have decided to limit internet availability - it will be switched on for two hours in the morning and five hours in the evening. On Sundays, the tribe members will have access to the internet for the whole day.
Elon Musk's Starlink aims to provide high-speed internet worldwide. This player in the satellite internet market is providing internet access to previously unthinkable remote areas.