YouTube’s most subscribed creator ‘MrBeast’ (real name Jimmy Donaldson) has been sued by Mexican authorities over allegations of illegal filming. MrBeast recently faced controversy after inserting fake scenes into content featuring a visit to a Mexican archaeological site.
The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) announced on the 15th (local time) that it plans to file a civil lawsuit against Full Circle Media, the production company behind MrBeast’s videos. INAH was established in 1939 to research, preserve, and protect various archaeological sites and heritage in Mexico.
INAH noted on X (formerly Twitter) that “(MrBeast’s side) violated the filming permit conditions granted in good faith by our agency” and stated, “We will seek damages for unlawfully using the heritage of all Mexican citizens for personal profit.”
MrBeast, who has 395 million subscribers worldwide, is the number one YouTuber in terms of subscriber count. His influence on society is significant.
Earlier on the 10th, MrBeast uploaded a 15-minute and 46-second video titled ‘Exploring Ancient Temples with 2000 Years of History’ on his YouTube channel. The video features content that appears to show a 100-hour exploration of various Maya civilization sites in the states of Campeche and Yucatán, such as Chichén Itzá and Calakmul. Currently, the video has nearly 60 million views just five days after its release.
Mexican authorities have raised concerns about a portion of the video where MrBeast introduces a new product from his chocolate brand. After eating traditional Mexican food at a location captioned ‘BASS,’ MrBeast said, “We must finish with a special dessert,” and pulled out chocolate. The scene where another participant jokes, “He (MrBeast) is the king of marketing” is also included.
INAH criticized MrBeast’s representatives, stating, “We have never allowed the use of images of archaeological sites for commercial brand advertising.” Additionally, they plan to include the following in their legal response: ▲computer graphic scenes depicting landing on top of pyramids by helicopter ▲staged scenes suggesting overnight stays in protected areas where lodging is prohibited ▲scenes of touching ancient artifacts that look like replicas seen in museums, categorized as ‘posting false information.’
The day before, President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico responded to reporters' inquiries about the ‘government policy concerning MrBeast’s videos,’ saying, “I am aware of the ongoing controversy” and that she had instructed the relevant agency to report on the filming permit conditions. In fact, after MrBeast posted the video, criticism intensified in Mexico regarding INAH’s inaction in preventing the use of one of the country’s most important archaeological sites.