The National Institute of Anthropology and History said the company had not been allowed to monetize the video
The National Institute of Anthropology and History in Mexico has filed a suit against Full Circle Media, a media company linked to YouTuber MrBeast, over a monetized video containing footage of the country's pyramids, reported Reuters.
In a May 10 video entitled "I Explored 2000 Year Old Temples," MrBeast climbed pyramids like Chichen Itza and explored tunnels in Campeche and Yucatan. Guides accompanied the YouTuber and his team, including a guide called "Arthur" attired in an INAH vest.
"I can't believe the government is letting us do this," MrBeast, real name James Donaldson, commented in a snippet of video dialogue published by Reuters.
The video's caption thanked local authorities, of which INAH was one, for allowing him to film. At the same time, the YouTuber advertised products.
INAH said in a post on Wednesday that it had permitted Full Circle Media to film at the archeological sites but not to profit off the content.
"The permission granted to Full Circle Media ... did not authorize ... the use of images of the archeological site for for-profit advertisements of private brands," the institute said in a statement published by Reuters.
Reuters reached out to a local production firm going by Full Circle Media but did not immediately get a response. MrBeast, whose YouTube following numbers 395 million subscribers, did not immediately respond to a request for comment either.
Earlier this week, 23-year-old Mexican beauty and makeup influencer Valeria Marquez was shot while she was livestreaming on TikTok, reported Reuters.
Marquez was shot by a man at her workplace, a beauty salon in the city of Zapopan. She had muted the stream moments before her murder; afterwards, the face of a person who seemingly picked up Marquez's phone was briefly shown on the video before it was cut off.
Before she was killed, the influencer had mentioned to her audience that someone had dropped by the salon with an "expensive gift" while she was out, as per a statement published by Reuters. Marquez had said she did not intend to wait for the person to return.
The state prosecutor in Jalisco said on Tuesday evening that the incident was being investigated according to femicide protocols. The prosecutor's office has not revealed a suspect.
Mexican authorities have defined femicide as the killing of women or girls because of gender. It covers degrading violence, sexual abuse, a relationship with the murderer, or a victim's body being exposed in a public space, according to Reuters.
