This week we discuss our coverage of the U.S.-Israel strikes against Iran, specifically how Polymarket and Kalshi are letting people profit from death, and that Amazon data centers were on fire after missiles hit Dubai. Then Emanuel talks about how AI translations are adding 'hallucinations' to Wikipedia articles. In the subscribers-only section, Sam tells us about a change with Amazon wishlists that may expose your address. 0:00 - Intro 1:32 - With Iran War, Kalshi and Polymarket Bet That the Depravity Economy Has No Bottom 29:07 - AI Translations Are Adding Hallucinations To Wikipedia Articles SUBSCRIBER'S STORY - Amazon Change Means Wishlists Might Expose Your Address YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/paHMe9kFf0w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joseph speaks to Cooper Quintin, a security researcher and senior public interest technologist with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). Quintin is one of the people behind Rayhunter, an easy to install tool that can detect nearby IMSI-catchers. This tech, sometimes known as Stingrays, poses as a fake cellphone tower to track a phone’s location, intercept calls and texts, and can sometimes even deliver malware. Rayhunter GitHub: https://github.com/EFForg/rayhunter YouTube: https://youtu.be/vEFPPaOn0ts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Jason’s follow up to Ring launching its ‘Search Party’ feature. It turns out, according to a leaked email he got, the feature is only starting with finding lost dogs. After the break, Emanuel explains why we’ve learned nothing about amplification when it comes to the recent looksmaxxing trend. In the subscribers-only section, Sam explains how Grok produced the real name of a sex worker who performs pseudonymously. 1:11 - Leaked Email Suggests Ring Plans to Expand ‘Search Party’ Surveillance Beyond Dogs⁠ 30:26 - ⁠We Have Learned Nothing About Amplifying Morons⁠ ⁠Grok Exposed a Porn Performer’s Legal Name and Birthdate—Without Even Being Asked⁠ YouTube version: https://youtu.be/IEq8dlnLP8o Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week’s interview, Sam is joined by Harlo Holmes. Harlo is the Chief Security Programs Officer at Freedom of the Press Foundation. She’s a media scholar, software programmer, and activist. Harlo and Sam discuss the important work she does every day, and why it’s only becoming more crucial. They also get into how to fight back against privacy nihilism, digital security practices everyone can be implementing regardless of their threat model, and the recent arrests and raids of journalists in the U.S. Listen to the weekly podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Become a paid subscriber for access to this episode's bonus content and to power our journalism. If you’re a paid subscriber, check your inbox for an email from our podcast host Transistor for a link to the subscribers-only version! You can also add that subscribers feed to your podcast app of choice and never miss an episode that way. The email should also contain the subscribers-only unlisted YouTube link for the extended video version too. It will also be in the show notes in your podcast player. 404 Media and Freedom of the Press Foundation Sue DHS FBI Couldn’t Get into WaPo Reporter’s iPhone Because It Had Lockdown Mode Enabled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Emanuel’s wild story about Alpha School, a very hyped AI-powered school. Emanuel got leaked documents and spoke to former employees. After the break, Sam tells us what happens when someone decides to make an AI nudify OnlyFans with your likeness. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph tells us about the agencies buying GeoSpy, an AI that can geolocate photos in seconds. 2:49 - Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire 5:47 - 'Students Are Being Treated Like Guinea Pigs:' Inside an AI-Powered Private School 40:01 - 'The Most Dejected I’ve Ever Felt:' Harassers Made Nude AI Images of Her, Then Started an OnlyFans YouTube version: https://youtu.be/fy-38hIhykQ Understood: Deepfake Porn Empire 'Students Are Being Treated Like Guinea Pigs:' Inside an AI-Powered Private School 'The Most Dejected I’ve Ever Felt:' Harassers Made Nude AI Images of Her, Then Started an OnlyFans Cops Are Buying ‘GeoSpy’, an AI That Geolocates Photos in Seconds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I recently traveled to Kenya for a journalism and AI conference. While I was there, I really wanted to meet with Michael Geoffrey Asia, the secretary general of the Data Labelers Association. Data Labeling is a huge job in Kenya. Data labelers are the people who train AI, and who also work on ensuring the outputs are accurate. In some cases, data labelers are themselves pretending to be AI, in order to train AI. Often, data labelers don’t know exactly what they’re working on, because the work usually goes through a platform, a subcontractor, or a combination of both. So basically they can be presented with a backend where they’re asked to perform tasks or answer questions; in some cases their answers may be presented in real time as AI. Data labeling is notoriously brutal and underpaid work. Workers sometimes earn as little as a few dollars a day, work under algorithmic management, and, because they’re sometimes trying to train AI what not to do or show, they are often shown graphic, violent, or sexual content for hours at a time. It’s kind of similar to content moderation jobs, and lots of people do both data labeling and content moderation, or switch back and forth between the industries. It’s such a big thing in Kenya that I mentioned it to the driver who took me to meet Michael for this interview, and she told me that she too was a data labeler, as are many of her friends. Michael has since become critical at the Data Labelers Association, a group that is fighting to organize people who do data labeling work and who is advocating for better working conditions, higher pay, and more protections for data labelers. I met Michael at a coworking space in Nairobi in a very tiny room, so I’m not on camera after this, but here’s my conversation with Michael. The Emotional Labor Behind AI Intimacy by Michael Geoffrey Asia YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/QH654YPxvEE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with exciting news: we bought a Super Bowl ad! For… $2,550. We explain how. After the break, Jason tells us about Ring’s recently launched Search Party feature, and gives us a very timely reminder of what Ring really is and how we got here. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph breaks down Lockdown Mode and how it kept the FBI out of a Washington Post reporter’s phone. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:49 - Watch 404 Media’s Super Bowl Ad 27:29 - With Ring, American Consumers Built a Surveillance Dragnet: SUBSCRIBER'S STORY - FBI Couldn’t Get into WaPo Reporter’s iPhone Because It Had Lockdown Mode Enabled YouTube version: https://youtu.be/0JK-VSrtlWw Watch 404 Media’s Super Bowl Ad With Ring, American Consumers Built a Surveillance Dragnet FBI Couldn’t Get into WaPo Reporter’s iPhone Because It Had Lockdown Mode Enabled Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Patrick Klepek on the reality of parenting in the age of Roblox and YouTube. I listened to hours of podcasts about how screen time affects kids of all ages and how parents should manage screen time but I still felt completely unprepared for this challenge when I had a kid.  I think the reason for that is that there’s a lot of reporting about how screens are impacting kids, and a lot of reporting about the research into this subject, but rarely did I encounter a conversation between parents that talks about how any of that information can be realistically applied in the real world.   This week on the podcast we’re joined by Patrick Klepek in order to have the kind of conversation I wish I heard before I became a parent, but I think there’s something here for everyone. Patrick is the cofounder of Remap, a website and one of my favorite podcasts about video games, and the writer behind Crossplay, a newsletter about the intersection of parenting and games. Patrick is also my former colleague at Vice, back when I worked at Motherboard and he at Waypoint. Patrick has been reporting about video games for most of his life, is a wonderful writer, and a parent. I find his perspective on many of these issues—screen time, parental controls, YouTube, Roblox—extremely useful and interesting, and I hope you do as well.  YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/LjK1Swsm1m4 Listen to the weekly podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.  Become a paid subscriber for early access to these interview episodes and to power our journalism. If you become a paid subscriber, check your inbox for an email from our podcast host Transistor for a link to the subscribers-only version! You can also add that subscribers feed to your podcast app of choice and never miss an episode that way. The email should also contain the subscribers-only unlisted YouTube link for the extended video version too. It will also be in the show notes in your podcast player. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Sam and Emanuel’s article about the latest Epstein dump, and how it’s really a disaster in a lot of ways. After the break, Matthew runs us through Moltbot and its terrible security. After the break, Emanuel breaks down his two recent stories about a fundamental issue exposing a bunch of very sensitive data. 0:00 - Intro 2:19 - DOJ Released Unredacted Nude Images in Epstein Files 25:08 - Silicon Valley’s Favorite New AI Agent Has Serious Security Flaws 34:55 - Exposed Moltbook Database Let Anyone Take Control of Any AI Agent on the Site YouTube version: https://youtu.be/gDcOOP_Y9cU DOJ Released Unredacted Nude Images in Epstein Files Silicon Valley’s Favorite New AI Agent Has Serious Security Flaws Exposed Moltbook Database Let Anyone Take Control of Any AI Agent on the Site App for Quitting Porn Leaked Users' Masturbation Habits Massive AI Chat App Leaked Millions of Users Private Conversations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Joseph talks to Samuel Bagg, assistant professor of political science at the University of South Carolina. Bagg recently wrote a fascinating essay, linked below, about how the problem with lots of things might be knowledge-based (people believing stuff that’s wrong or dangerous) but the solution is not more knowledge. It’s all about social identity. This is an incredibly interesting discussion, and definitely check out more of Bagg’s writing. The Problem is Epistemic. The Solution is Not The Dispersion of Power: A Critical Realist Theory of Democracy YouTube version:  https://youtu.be/lNKOqp-rZL8 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Sam’s piece about ManyVids, and how some creators believe its CEO, and the person who controls their livelihood, may be experiencing ‘AI psychosis’. After the break, Jason gives us an update on some mysterious disappearing ICE footage. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about Flock and what police are being told to do: not describe what they’re using the AI cameras for. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:41 - Aliens and Angel Numbers: Creators Worry Porn Platform ManyVids Is Falling Into ‘AI Psychosis’; Amid Backlash, Massive Porn Platform ManyVids Doubles Down on Bizarre, AI-Generated Posts 32:12 - DHS Says Critical ICE Surveillance Footage From Abuse Case Was Actually Never Recorded, Doesn't Matter YouTube version: https://youtu.be/EFv0rD9F9es Aliens and Angel Numbers: Creators Worry Porn Platform ManyVids Is Falling Into ‘AI Psychosis’ DHS Says Critical ICE Surveillance Footage From Abuse Case Was Actually Never Recorded, Doesn't Matter Police Told to Be ‘as Vague as Permissible’ About Why They Use Flock Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Sam is in conversation with Kolina Koltai. Kolina is an investigator, senior researcher and trainer at Bellingcat. Her investigations focus on the people and systems behind AI companies and platforms that peddle non-consensual deepfake explicit imagery. They discuss how she found herself in this field, her recent investigation uncovering the man behind two deepfake porn sites, and how it feels to watch these sites go down after exposing the people running them. YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/CbmUwwVGaf4 Stories discussed: Profiting From Exploitation: How We Found the Man Behind Two Deepfake Porn Sites Behind a Secretive Global Network of Non-Consensual Deepfake Pornography Unmasking MrDeepFakes: Canadian Pharmacist Linked to World’s Most Notorious Deepfake Porn Site Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Joseph’s article about ELITE, a tool Palantir is working on for ICE. After the break, Emanuel tells us how AI influencers are making fake sex tape-style photos with celebrities, who can’t be best pleased about it. In the subscribers-only section, Matthew breaks down Comic-Con’s ban of AI art. 0:00 - Intro 2:16 - ‘ELITE’: The Palantir App ICE Uses to Find Neighborhoods to Raid 22:45 - Instagram AI Influencers Are Defaming Celebrities With Sex Scandals Subscriber's Story: Comic-Con Bans AI Art After Artist Pushback YouTube version: https://youtu.be/b-QHWpqjD-E Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Wikimedia Foundation’s chief technology and product officer explains how she helps manage one of the most visited sites in the world in the age of generative AI.  Wikipedia is turning 25 this month, and it’s never been more important.  The online, collectively created encyclopedia has been a cornerstone of the internet decades, but as generative AI started flooding every platform with AI-generated slop over the last couple of years, Wikipedia’s governance model, editing process, and dedication to citing reliable sources has emerged as one of the most reliable and resilient models we have.  And yet, as successful as the model is, it’s almost never replicated.  This week on the podcast we’re joined by Selena Deckelmann, the Chief Product and Technology Officer at the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia. That means Selena oversees the technical infrastructure and product strategy for one of the most visited sites in the world, and one the most comprehensive repositories of human knowledge ever assembled. Wikipedia is turning 25 this month, so I wanted to talk to Selena about how Wikipedia works and how it plans to continue to work in the age of generative AI.   YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/39LR9ouJR3c Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Listen to the weekly podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.  Wikipedia’s value in the age of generative AI The Editors Protecting Wikipedia from AI Hoaxes Wikipedia Pauses AI-Generated Summaries After Editor Backlash Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Dangerous Decline in Human Visitors Jimmy Wales Says Wikipedia Could Use AI. Editors Call It the 'Antithesis of Wikipedia' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Joseph’s article about Webloc, a tool ICE bought that can monitor phones in entire neighborhoods. After the break, Emanuel and Sam talk about their recent coverage of Grok. In the subscribers-only section, Jason explains how police inadvertently unmasked millions of their surveillance targets through a Flock redaction error. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 2:50 - First Story 23:00 - Second Story YouTube version: https://youtu.be/rurJo6vPhUY Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods DHS Is Lying To You Inside the Telegram Channel Jailbreaking Grok Over and Over Again Masterful Gambit: Musk Attempts to Monetize Grok's Wave of Sexual Abuse Imagery Police Unmask Millions of Surveillance Targets Because of Flock Redaction Error Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jason is talking to YouTuber Benn Jordan, who has done some of our favorite reporting on Flock, the automated license plate reader surveillance company. A couple months ago, he found vulnerabilities in some of Flock’s license plate reader cameras. I have been following Benn’s work for a while, and soon after that video came out, he reached out to me to tell me he had learned that some of Flock’s Condor cameras were left live-streaming to the open internet. In this episode, we discuss how he discovered the issue and what happened next. YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/tSd0nXolnIs Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Matthew’s story about an organization tracking the location of AI data centers around the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. After the break, Jason tells us all about what Grok got up to over the holiday break, and we ruminate on what the breakdown in the information ecosystem means. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about how we bought 404media.com! Timestamps: 1:38 - Researchers Are Hunting America for Hidden Datacenters 25:58 - Grok's AI CSAM Shitshow Subscriber's Story: We Bought 404media.com YouTube version: https://youtu.be/zT9lEyHnZIk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special guest episode of the 404 Media Podcast, Sam talks to Alexzandra Kekesi, VP of Brand and Community at Pornhub. Kekesi started in her current role in August 2023, after working for Pornhub and its parent company for more than a decade. She joined us from Montreal, where Pornhub is headquartered. They discuss the stigma facing the adult industry, Luigi Mangione porn, the trad wife to feet pics pipeline, and algorithms that shut you down for showing side boob. Kekesi also breaks down Pornhub’s choice to pull out of states in more than a third of the U.S., following regressive age verification laws. Pornhub Sees Surge of Interest in Tradwife Content, ‘Modesty,’ and Mindfulness Pornhub Is Now Blocked In Almost All of the U.S. South Age Verification Laws Drag Us Back to the Dark Ages of the Internet Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special interview episode with Meredith Whittaker, the president of the Signal Foundation. I'm sure you all know, and maybe even use, the Signal messaging app. Here we sat down with Whittaker to talk all about the state of Signal today, the threat of AI to end-to-end encryption, what backdoors actually look like, and much more. This is a wide-ranging discussion where one of the few journalists who has revealed new details about backdoors (Joseph) gets to speak to one of the most important people in the world of encryption (Whittaker). Definitely take a listen. Paid subscribers got access to this episode early by the way. YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/kconAXZgsxg Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever Signal page on government data requests Microsoft Will Switch Off Recall by Default After Security Backlash Telegram CEO Pavel Durov interview Subscribe at 404media.co for early access and bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joseph speaks to Craig Silverman, one of the co-founders of Indicator. Indicator is a new, independent media company that Craig runs with Alexios Mantzarlis. For years Craig has covered the world of ad fraud and disinformation using all sorts of open source intelligence (OSINT) techniques. Definitely check out Indicator at Indicator.media. The site publishes its own investigations but also tips and tricks you can use yourself. Indicator’s site: https://indicator.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Jason’s story about Flock exposing a bunch of AI-powered cameras. These cameras zoom in on people as they walk by, sometimes so closely you can read what’s on their phone screen. After the break, we talk about some of our biggest stories this year. In the subscribers-only section, we give some of our personal recommendations of games, other reporting, or just a more chill life. Timestamps:0:00 - Intro00:54 -  Gift a 404 Media subscription2:27 - Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves26:34 -  Anyone Can Push Updates to the DOGE.gov Website29:52 -  Mike Waltz Accidentally Reveals Obscure App the Government Is Using to Archive Signal Messages34:29 -  How Tea’s Founder Convinced Millions of Women to Spill Their Secrets, Then Exposed Them to the World44:59 -  Half of the US Now Requires You to Upload Your ID or Scan Your Face to Watch Porn YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/DrGVGphD2L0 Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marisa Kabas is the founder of The Handbasket, an independent newsletter and website that has been breaking stories left and right about government workers, the media business, and Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Jason and Marisa share notes Marisa about doing journalism without a big newsroom, how the media business has changed over the last decade, and why sources often prefer to talk to journalists who don’t work for mainstream media. YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/e73spvZnc9s The Handbasket: https://www.thehandbasket.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joseph had to use a different mic this week, that will be fixed next time! We start this week talking about a very unusual case: someone is being charged for allegedly wiping a phone before CBP could search it. There are a lot of questions remaining, but a super interesting case. After the break, we talk about Matthew’s article on an Anthropic exec forcing AI onto a queer gamer Discord. In the subscribers-only section, we all chat about the Disney and OpenAI deal. Timestamps: 00:48 - Man Charged for Wiping Phone Before CBP Could Search It 23:02 - Anthropic Exec Forces AI Chatbot on Gay Discord Community, Members Flee Man Charged for Wiping Phone Before CBP Could Search It Anthropic Exec Forces AI Chatbot on Gay Discord Community, Members Flee Disney Invests $1 Billion in the AI Slopification of Its Brand YouTube version: https://youtu.be/tOpIpReZPoM Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humanity has talked about aliens throughout recorded history, and obsession that has changed science, faith, and media.  The past few years have been very exciting for those who want to believe. The U.S. government has released tantalizing videos and held several gripping hearings showing and discussing UFOs. People who always thought the government was hiding evidence of alien life from the general population saw it as proof that what they’ve said was happening all along. Skeptics have made compelling arguments for why all these revelations could be anything but aliens.  But this debate and humanity’s obsession with aliens goes as far back as recorded history. In her book, First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens, 404 Media’s science reporter and author of The Abstract newsletter Becky Ferreira delves deep into this history, what it teaches us about humans, and what the near and far future of the search for alien life looks like.  I had a great time reading Becky’s book and an even better time discussing it with her on the podcast. It’s a great conversation that unpacks why these stories get so much attention, and a perspective on aliens in the news and pop culture that’s rooted in history and science. YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/QToByEeq2vU Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with news of our zine! We’re printing it very soon, and walk you through the process. Independent media is turning back to physical zines as a way to subvert algorithms. After the break, Emanuel tells us about some very weird Instagram changes. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains ICEBlock’s lawsuit against the U.S. government. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/lseEXc-ZzsQ Timestamps: 1:37 - 1st Story - ⁠404 Media Is Making a Zine⁠; buy the zine here 28:01 - 2nd Story - ⁠Instagram Is Generating Inaccurate SEO Bait for Your Posts⁠ SUBSCRIBER'S STORY - ICEBlock Creator Sues U.S. Government Over App’s Removal Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Sam is in conversation with Noelle Perdue. Noelle is a writer, producer, and internet porn historian whose works has been published in Wired, the Washington Post, Slate, and more, and you’re probably familiar with her work if you’ve been paying attention to the plot in your favorite pornographic films. She’s writing on Stubstack so look her up there! YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/9eqMXBwWtkA Noelle and Sam discuss everything from sexbots and AI porn to censorship, age verification legislation, and their favorite parody porn flicks.   Listen to the weekly podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube. Become a paid subscriber for access to this episode's bonus content and to power our journalism. If you become a paid subscriber, check your inbox for an email from our podcast host Transistor for a link to the subscribers-only version! You can also add that subscribers feed to your podcast app of choice and never miss an episode that way. The email should also contain the subscribers-only unlisted YouTube link for the extended video version too. It will also be in the show notes in your podcast player. Noelle Perdue on Substack Michigan Lawmakers Are Attempting to Ban Porn Entirely New Bill Would Make All Pornography a Federal Crime in the U.S. OpenAI Catches Up to AI Market Reality: People Are Horny ChatGPT’s Hail Mary: Chatbots You Can Fuck The Egg Yolk Principle: Human Sexuality Will Always Outsmart Prudish Algorithms and Hateful Politicians Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Joseph’s very weird story about Apple Podcasts. The app is opening by itself, playing random spirituality podcasts, and in one case directing listeners to a potentially malicious website. After the break, Matthew tells us how it sure looks like a map of Ukraine was manipulated in order to win a bet on Polymarket. In the subscribers-only section, Sam breaks down how half of the U.S. now requires a face or ID scan to watch porn. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/V4QCJh-imPM Timestamps:2:00 - Story 1 - Someone Is Trying to ‘Hack’ People Through Apple Podcasts24:40 - Story 2 - 'Unauthorized' Edit to Ukraine's Frontline Maps Point to Polymarket's War Betting SUBSCRIBER'S STORY - Half of the US Now Requires You to Upload Your ID or Scan Your Face to Watch Porn Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joseph speaks to Michael Bobbitt, a former FBI official who worked directly on Operation Trojan Shield. In this operation the FBI secretly ran its own encrypted phone company for organized crime, backdoored the phone, and collected tens of millions of messages. Michael and Joseph discuss how Michael handled intelligence sourced from the phones, how to navigate an operation that complex, and its fallout. YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/bLeueG5V4QY Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever Podcast: Signal's President Meredith Whittaker on Backdoors and AI Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Sam's piece about a massive leak of an AI chatbot, and how it showed that people were taking ordinary women’s yearbook photos and using them to make AI porn. After the break, Jason explains how a recent change on X exposed a bunch of grifters all around the world. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about how our reporting contributed to the shut down of a warrantless surveillance program. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/UgOtR_bDft4 Timestamps: 1:23 - Intro: Please, please do our reader survey 3:57 - Story 1: Massive Leak Shows Erotic Chatbot Users Turned Women’s Yearbook Pictures Into AI Porn 34:42 - Story 2: America’s Polarization Has Become the World's Side Hustle SUBSCRIBER'S STORY: Airlines Will Shut Down Program That Sold Your Flights Records to Government Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason talks to Chris Gilliard, the author of the upcoming book Luxury Surveillance. Gilliard has studied the rise of companies like Ring and Flock, as well as the dynamics that lead people to surveil themselves and each other. YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/4kBgnjn5cC0 Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with a rant from Jason about how the latest dump of Epstein emails were released. It would be a lot easier to cover them if they were published differently! After the break, we talk about Joseph’s piece about a contractor hiring essentially randos off LinkedIn to physically track immigrants for $300. In the subscribers-only section, Sam tells us about a new adult industry code of conduct that has been a long time coming. Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro 3:08 - First Segment 34:23 - Second Segment YouTube version: https://youtu.be/_6tVI4jh__Y Our New FOIA Forum! 11/19, 1PM ET Contractor Recruiting People on LinkedIn to Physically Track Immigrants for ICE, Will Pay $300 Major Porn Studios Join Forces to Establish Industry ‘Code of Conduct’ Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The video game industry has had a turbulent few years. The pandemic made people play more and caused a small boom, which then subsided, resulting in wave after wave of massive layoffs. Microsoft, one of the major console manufacturers, is shifting its strategy for Xbox as the company shifts its focus to AI. And now, Electronic Arts, once a load-bearing publisher for the industry with brands like The Sims and Madden, is going private via a leveraged buyout in a deal involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and Jared Kushner. Video games are more popular than ever, but many of the biggest companies in the business seem like they are struggling to adapt and convert that popularity into stability and sustainability. To try and understand what the hell is going on, this week we have a conversation between Emanuel and Jason Schreier, who reports about video games for Bloomberg and one of the best journalists on this beat. Jason helps us unpack why Microsoft is now aiming for higher-than-average profit margins at Xbox and why the company is seemingly bowing out of the console business despite a massive acquisition spree. We also talk about what the EA deal tells us about other game publishers, and what all these problems tell us about changing player habits and the future of big budget video games. YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/6ydF7hD6cFI Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Microsoft Pushes Xbox Division to Hit Higher Profit Margins EA's Deal to Go Private Could Be Good for Investors, Bad for Employees EA Buyout Highlights Gaming Struggles as Growth Slows The Video-Game Industry Has a Problem: There Are Too Many Games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start with Matthew Gault’s dive into a battle between a small town and the construction of a massive datacenter for America’s nuclear weapon scientists. After the break, Joseph explains why people are 3D-printing whistles in Chicago. In the subscribers-only section, Jason zooms out and tells us what librarians are seeing with AI and tech, and how that is impacting their work and knowledge more broadly. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/rHk580uKwHw 6:03 - Our New FOIA Forum! 11/19, 1PM ET7:50 - A Small Town Is Fighting a $1.2 Billion AI Datacenter for America's Nuclear Weapon Scientists12:27 - 'A Black Hole of Energy Use': Meta's Massive AI Data Center Is Stressing Out a Louisiana Community21:09 - 'House of Dynamite' Is About the Zoom Call that Ends the World30:35 - The Latest Defense Against ICE: 3D-Printed Whistles SUBSCRIBER'S STORY: AI Is Supercharging the War on Libraries, Education, and Human Knowledge Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve been to a national park in the U.S. recently, you might have noticed some odd new signs about “beauty” and “grandeur.” Or, some signs you were used to seeing might now be missing completely. An executive order issued earlier this year put the history and educational aspects of the parks system under threat–but a group of librarians stepped in to save it.  This week we have a conversation between Sam and two of the leaders of the independent volunteer archiving project Save Our Signs, an effort to archive national park signs and monument placards. It’s a community collaboration project co-founded by a group of librarians, public historians, and data experts in partnership with the Data Rescue Project and Safeguarding Research & Culture.  Lynda Kellam leads the Research Data and Digital Scholarship team at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries and is a founding organizer of the Data Rescue Project. Jenny McBurney is the Government Publications Librarian and Regional Depository Coordinator at the University of Minnesota Libraries. In this episode, they discuss turning “frustration, dismay and disbelief” at parks history under threat into action: compiling more than 10,000 images from over 300 national parks into a database to be preserved for the people. YouTube Version: https://youtu.be/xrCElwgY5Co ‘Save Our Signs’ Archive and Submission Site 'Save Our Signs' Wants to Save the Real History of National Parks Before Trump Erases It ‘Save Our Signs’ Preservation Project Launches Archive of 10,000 National Park Signs Archivists Work to Identify and Save the Thousands of Datasets Disappearing From Data.gov Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have something of a Meta Ray-Bans smart glasses bumper episode this week. We start with Joseph and Jason’s piece on a $60 mod that disables the privacy-protecting recording light in the smart glasses. After the break, Emanuel tells us how some people are abusing the glasses to film massage workers, and he explains the difference between a phone and a pair of smartglasses, if you need that spelled out for you. In the subscribers-only section, Jason tells us about the future of advertising: AI-generated ads personalized directly to you. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/tAmhRnHc16Q 1:00 - A $60 Mod to Meta’s Ray-Bans Disables Its Privacy-Protecting Recording Light 18:03 - Meta's Ray-Ban Glasses Users Film and Harass Massage Parlor Workers SUBSCRIBER'S STORY: The Future of Advertising Is AI Generated Ads That Are Directly Personalized to You Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joseph speaks to Joshua Aaron, the creator of ICEBlock. Apple recently removed ICEBlock from its App Store after direct pressure from the Department of Justice. Joshua and Joseph talk about how the idea for ICEBlock came about, Apple and Google’s broader crackdown on similar apps, and what this all means for people trying to access information about ICE. ICEBlock Owner After Apple Removes App: ‘We Are Determined to Fight This’ Google Calls ICE Agents a Vulnerable Group, Removes ICE-Spotting App ‘Red Dot’ Apple Banned an App That Simply Archived Videos of ICE Abuses YouTube version: https://youtu.be/WLpyObHkPqc Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Jason’s explanation of what Grokipedia is, and how it compares to the very much human-made Wikipedia. After the break, we talk all about the hell of updating Windows PCs and what that means specifically for Windows 10 users. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel explains what a16z is doing with a ‘speedrun’ to a wholly AI-generated world. Intro0:00 - Merch drop2:38 - Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever (use code WIRE20 for 20% off)3:25 - First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens Stories5:00 - Grokipedia Is the Antithesis of Everything That Makes Wikipedia Good, Useful, and Human10:48 - Elon Musk's Grokipedia Pushes Far-Right Talking Points23:04 - The End of Windows 10 Support Is an E-Waste Disaster in the Making32:00 - Nathan Proctor interview Subscriber's Stories: a16z-Backed Startup Sells Thousands of ‘Synthetic Influencers’ to Manipulate Social Media as a Service a16z Is Funding a 'Speedrun' to AI-Generated Hell on Earth YouTube version: https://youtu.be/LqYMoK7dlDA Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Joseph’s articles about a hacking group that doxed DHS, ICE, FBI, and DOJ officials. The group then sent us the personal data of officials from the NSA and a bunch of other government agencies. After the break, Emanuel revisits Wikipedia’s AI problem. In the subscribers-only section, Sam explains OpenAI’s inevitable path to an AI sex bot.0:00 - Intro0:50 - How Artists Are Keeping 'the Lost Art' of Neon Signs Alive4:42 - Hackers Dox Hundreds of DHS, ICE, FBI, and DOJ Officials 13:53 - Hackers Say They Have Personal Data of Thousands of NSA and Other Government Officials 31:58 - Wikipedia Says AI Is Causing a Dangerous Decline in Human Visitors SUBSCRIBER'S SEGMENT: OpenAI Catches Up to AI Market Reality: People Are Horny YouTube version: https://youtu.be/7P2a4Y7P5UESubscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Jason’s article about an internal Meta message telling workers to increase their output by 5x with AI. That’s five times, not five percent. After the break, Joseph and Sam tell us all about the catastrophic Discord breach. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains what happened when AI came for craft beer (nothing is sacred). YouTube version: https://youtu.be/VJLHVJ-OOj8 Help Us Investigate Book Bans and Educational Censorship Around America Meta Tells Workers Building Metaverse to Use AI to ‘Go 5x Faster’ The Discord Hack is Every User’s Worst Nightmare What Happened When AI Came for Craft Beer TIMESTAMPS: 0:51 - Help Us Investigate Book Bans and Educational Censorship Around America 3:57 - Meta Tells Workers Building Metaverse to Use AI to ‘Go 5x Faster’ 19:44 - The Discord Hack is Every User’s Worst Nightmare SUBSCRIBER'S STORY: What Happened When AI Came for Craft Beer This is a production of 404 Media, a journalist-owned tech website. Learn more and subscribe at: htttps://404media.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason is joined by US PIRG's right to repair campaign director Nathan Proctor, who explains why the imminent end of free support for Windows 10 computers is a ticking timebomb, with millions of computers slated for recycling centers and landfills. Nathan and Jason discuss the state of right to repair legislation all over the United States, the progress that has been made, and the next areas that right to repair experts are going to be focusing on.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with a couple of our articles about Sora 2, OpenAI’s new AI slop app. People are already using tools to remove watermarks from its AI-generated videos. Great! After the break, we talk about Apple and Google removing various ICE-spotting apps from their app stores, with Apple doing it after direct pressure from the U.S. government. In the subscribers-only section, we have a substantial update to a story concerning Flock and a woman who self-administered an abortion. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/fTz5ODv_uZQ 4:55 - OpenAI’s Sora 2 Copyright Infringement Machine Features Nazi SpongeBobs and Criminal Pikachus⁠ 14:30 - People Are Farming and Selling Sora 2 Invite Codes on eBay⁠ 25:27 - ⁠Sora 2 Watermark Removers Flood the Web⁠ 29:08 - ICEBlock Owner After Apple Removes App: ‘We Are Determined to Fight This’⁠ 37:39 - Google Calls ICE Agents a Vulnerable Group, Removes ICE-Spotting App ‘Red Dot’⁠ BONUS STORY: ⁠Police Said They Surveilled Woman Who Had an Abortion for Her 'Safety.' Court Records Show They Considered Charging Her With a Crime⁠ This is a production of 404 Media, a journalist-owned tech website. Learn more and subscribe at: htttps://404media.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Joseph’s article about landlords and income verification companies demanding login details from potential renters so the companies can log in and scrape their paystubs. That has some potential legal issues for everyone involved! After the break, 18 lawyers tell us why they used AI. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel breaks down the massive drama around Ruby. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/KtvSBb6rtHE Landlords Demand Tenants’ Workplace Logins to Scrape Their Paystubs 18 Lawyers Caught Using AI Explain Why They Did It How Ruby Went Off the Rails Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with some news: we are suing ICE for access to its $2 million contract with a company that sells powerful spyware. Paragon sells tech for remotely breaking into phones and reading messages from encrypted chat apps without a target even clicking a link. After the break, we talk about a couple of stories about AI ‘workslop’ and the engineers who fix peoples’ vibe coding. In the subscribers-only section, we start with a malicious game on Steam stealing cryptocurrency from a cancer patient, then we talk about Silk Song. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/NWuDzmKE8kg We’re Suing ICE for Its $2 Million Spyware Contract AI ‘Workslop’ Is Killing Productivity and Making Workers Miserable The Software Engineers Paid to Fix Vibe Coded Messes Steam Hosted Malware Game that Stole $32,000 from a Cancer Patient Live on Stream Does Silksong Seem Unreasonably Hard? You Probably Took a Wrong Turn Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Joseph’s investigation into Nexar, a popular dashcam company that was catastrophically hacked. Nexar is also uploading user footage to a publicly available map without some drivers’ knowledge. After the break, Sam tells us about her trip to San Diego to cover the sentencing of someone she has covered for years. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about the Charlie Kirk assassination and our reporting around that. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/-51f4patIkw This Company Turns Dashcams into ‘Virtual CCTV Cameras.’ Then Hackers Got In Michael Pratt, GirlsDoPorn Ringleader, Sentenced to 27 Years in Prison Comcast Executives Warn Workers To Not Say The Wrong Thing About Charlie Kirk Charlie Kirk Was Not Practicing Politics the Right Way Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we talk about how 'Boring History' AI slop is taking over YouTube and making it harder to discover content that humans spend months researching, filming, and editing. Then we talk about how Meta has totally given up on content moderation. In the bonus segment, we discuss the 'AI Darwin Awards,' which is, uhh, celebrating the dumbest uses of AI.YouTube Version: AI Generated Boring History Videos Are Flooding YouTube And Drowning Out Real History Instagram Account Promotes Holocaust Denial T-Shirts To 400,000 Followers AI Darwin Awards Shows AI's Biggest Problem Is Human Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a recording of our live show in Los Angeles in July! In this show we spoke all about ICE's technology and our reporting on it. Facial recognition, Palantir, Flock, and more. And we take questions from the audience. Thank you to everyone who came and we hope you enjoy the discussion! Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with our articles about Trump’s tariffs, and how they’re impacting everything from LEGO to cameras to sex toys. After the break, Emanuel explains how misfired DMCA complaints designed to help adult creators are targeting other sites, including ours. In the subscribers-only section, we do a wrap-up of a bunch of recent ChatGPT stories about suicide and murder. A content warning for suicide and self-harm for that section. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/srdUOWq_hfg Trump Take LEGO Trump Tariffs Cause Chaos on Ebay as Every Hobby Becomes Logistical Minefield How OnlyFans Piracy Is Ruining the Internet for Everyone ChatGPT Encouraged Suicidal Teen Not To Seek Help, Lawsuit Claims ChatGPT Answered 'High Risk' Questions About Suicide, New Study Finds Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's the podcast recorded at our recent second anniversary party in New York! We answered a bunch of reader and listener questions. Thank you to everyone that came and thank you for listening to this podcast too! Thanks again to DeleteMe, use code 404media for 20% off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Joseph’s investigation into people selling custom patches for the Flipper Zero, a piece of hacking tech that car thieves can now use to break into a wide range of vehicles. After the break, Jason tells us about the new meta in AI slop: making 80s nostalgia videos. In the subscribers-only section, we all talk about Citizen, and how the app is pushing AI-written crime alerts without human intervention. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/nV3qShvuoKw Inside the Underground Trade of ‘Flipper Zero’ Tech to Break into Cars 80s Nostalgia AI Slop Is Boomerfying the Masses for a Past That Never Existed Citizen Is Using AI to Generate Crime Alerts With No Human Review. It’s Making a Lot of Mistakes VICE News Presents: Vigilante, Inc. Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Emanuel’s big investigation into the Tea app, and especially how it aggressively grew by raiding women safety groups. After the break, we talk about TikTok Shop selling GPS trackers. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains how Grok was exposing some of its AI persona prompts, and the sometimes NSFW nature of them. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/vRFaNoU-cGI You're Invited: 404 Media's Second Anniversary Party and LIVE PODCAST! How Tea’s Founder Convinced Millions of Women to Spill Their Secrets, Then Exposed Them to the World TikTok Shop Sells Viral GPS Trackers Marketed to Stalkers Grok Exposes Underlying Prompts for Its AI Personas: ‘EVEN PUTTING THINGS IN YOUR ASS’ Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Jason’s article about a CBP official wearing Meta Ray-Bans smart glasses to an immigration raid. A lot of stuff happened after we published that article too. After the break, Sam tells us about the bargain that voice actors are making with AI. In the subscribers-only section, Jason tells us how a DEA official used a cop’s password to AI cameras to then do immigration surveillance. YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxHFsQSVRkE Get your subscriber code and tickets for the live event here A CBP Agent Wore Meta Smart Glasses to an Immigration Raid in Los Angeles Voiceover Artists Weigh the 'Faustian Bargain' of Lending Their Talents to AI Feds Used Local Cop's Password to Do Immigration Surveillance With Flock Cameras Congress Launches Investigation into Flock After 404 Media Reporting Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Joseph’s story about nearly 100,000 ChatGPT conversations being indexed by Google. There’s some sensitive stuff in there. After the break, Emanuel tells us about Wikipedia’s new way of dealing with AI slop. In the subscribers-only section, Sam explains how we got to where we are with Steam and Itch.io; that history goes way back. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/mQJvOTHu61I Nearly 100,000 ChatGPT Conversations Were Searchable on Google Wikipedia Editors Adopt ‘Speedy Deletion’ Policy for AI Slop Articles The Anti-Porn Crusade That Censored Steam and Itch.io Started 30 Years Ago Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Emanuel’s and Joseph’s coverage of Tea, a women’s dating safety app that was breached multiple times. After the break, Sam and Emanuel talk about how a new UK law about age verification is impacting peoples’ ability to see footage about current events. In the subscribers-only section, Jason explains that LeBron James is not in fact pregnant. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/q17GRPq7K3o Women Dating Safety App 'Tea' Breached, Users' IDs Posted to 4chan A Second Tea Breach Reveals Users’ DMs About Abortions and Cheating UK Users Need to Post Selfie or Photo ID to View Reddit's r/IsraelCrimes, r/UkraineWarFootage Credit Card Companies Are Hurting the Future of Video Games Steam Bends to Payment Processors on Porn Games LeBron James' Lawyers Send Cease-and-Desist to AI Company Making Pregnant Videos of Him Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Emanuel's wild story about Spotify publishing AI generated tracks that look like they come from artists' official accounts. One problem: those artists died a long time ago. After the break, Joseph tells us about a company that is selling data hacked from computers to debt collectors. In the subscribers-only section, we talk all about the Astronomer CEO and its privacy implications. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/lFYyNOWVJV0 404 Media Live in Los Angeles Spotify Publishes AI-Generated Songs From Dead Artists Without Permission A Startup is Selling Data Hacked from Peoples’ Computers to Debt Collectors The Astronomer CEO's Coldplay Concert Fiasco Is Emblematic of Our Social Media Surveillance Dystopia Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with a series of articles from Emanuel about a crackdown in the AI industry. After the break, Sam tells us about the ‘Save Our Signs’ campaign which hopes to preserve the history of national parks. In the subscribers-only section, Jason rants about how AI will not save the media industry.  YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-fo7O8B_mk 404 Media Los Angeles event details (free for subscribers; $10 otherwise) a16z-Backed AI Site Civitai Is Mostly Porn, Despite Claiming Otherwise Hugging Face Is Hosting 5,000 Nonconsensual AI Models of Real People Payment Processors Are Pushing AI Porn Off Its Biggest Platforms 'Save Our Signs' Wants to Save the Real History of National Parks Before Trump Erases It The Media's Pivot to AI Is Not Real and Not Going to Work Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re back! We start this week with Emanuel’s article about Anubis, an open source piece of software that is saving the internet from AI bot scrapers. After the break, Joseph tells us about the new facial recognition app ICE is using and which he revealed. In the subscribers-only section, we do a lightning round runthrough of a bunch of our recent stories about LLMs and how to trick them, or what they don’t understand. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/lqJL1u8UhmE The Open-Source Software Saving the Internet From AI Bot Scrapers ICE Is Using a New Facial Recognition App to Identify People, Leaked Emails Show AI Models And Parents Don’t Understand ‘Let Him Cook’ Fine-Tuning LLMs For ‘Good’ Behavior Makes Them More Likely To Say No Researchers Jailbreak AI by Flooding It With Bullshit Jargon Thumbnail credit: Mascot by CELPHASE. Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For this week’s podcast, I’m talking to our friend Casey Johnston, a tech journalist turned fitness journalist turned independent journalist. Casey studied physics, which led her to tech journalism; she did some of my favorite coverage of Internet culture as well as Apple’s horrendous butterfly laptop keyboards. We worked together at VICE, where Casey was an editor and where she wrote Ask a Swole Woman, an advice column about weightlifting. After she left VICE, Casey founded She’s a Beast, an independent site about weightlifting, but also about the science of diet culture, fitness influencers on the internet, the intersections of all those things, etc.  She just wrote A Physical Education: How I Escaped Diet Culture and Gained the Power of Lifting, a really great reported memoir about how our culture and the media often discourages people from lifting, and how this type of exercise can be really beneficial to your brain and your body. I found the book really inspiring and actually started lifting right after I read it. In this interview we talk about her book, about journalism, about independent media, and how doing things like lifting weights and touching grass helps us navigate the world. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/vV0esl4LLIU Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Emanuel and Joseph’s coverage of ‘FuckLAPD.com’, a website that uses facial recognition to instantly reveal a LAPD officer’s name and salary. The creator has relaunched their similar tool for identifying ICE employees too. After the break, Jason tells us about a massive AI ruling that opens the way for AI companies to scrape everyone’s art. In the subscribers-only section, our regular contributor Matthew describes all the AI slop in the Iran and Israel conflict, and why it matters. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/1eieXQIaALA ‘FuckLAPD.com’ Lets Anyone Use Facial Recognition to Instantly Identify Cops Judge Rules Training AI on Authors' Books Is Legal But Pirating Them Is Not The AI Slop Fight Between Iran and Israel Thumbnail credit: Photo by Sean Lee/Unsplash Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Joseph’s article about the U.S’s major airlines selling customers’ flight information to Customs and Border Protection and then telling the agency to not reveal where the data came from. After the break, Emanuel tells us how AI scraping bots are breaking open libraries, archives, and museums. In the subscribers-only section, Jason explains the casual surveillance relationship between ICE and local cops, according to emails he got. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Auc7NPD2ig4 Our New FOIA Forum! 6/18, 1PM ET Airlines Don't Want You to Know They Sold Your Flight Data to DHS AI Scraping Bots Are Breaking Open Libraries, Archives, and Museums Emails Reveal the Casual Surveillance Alliance Between ICE and Local Police Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much of this episode is about the ongoing anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. We start with Joseph explaining how he monitored surveillance aircraft flying over the protests, including what turned out to be a Predator drone. After the break, Jason tells us about the burning Waymos. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about the owner of Girls Do Porn, a sex trafficking ring on Pornhub, pleading guilty (a content warning for that one). YouTube version: https://youtu.be/o8Pb9l9FPaA DHS Black Hawks and Military Aircraft Surveil the LA Protests DHS Flew Predator Drones Over LA Protests, Audio Shows Waymo Pauses Service in Downtown LA Neighborhood Where They're Getting Lit on Fire Girls Do Porn Ringleader Pleads Guilty, Faces Life In Prison Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Sam's dive into a looming piece of anti-porn legislation, prudish algorithms, and eggs. After the break, Matthew tells us about the open source software that powered Ukraine's drone attack against Russia. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel explains how even pro-AI subreddits are dealing with people having AI delusions. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/daEt3CptlRU The Egg Yolk Principle: Human Sexuality Will Always Outsmart Prudish Algorithms and Hateful Politicians Ukraine's Massive Drone Attack Was Powered by Open Source Software Pro-AI Subreddit Bans 'Uptick' of Users Who Suffer from AI Delusions  Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week is a bumper episode all about Flock, the automatic license plate reading (ALPR) cameras across the U.S. First, Jason explains how we found that ICE essentially has backdoor access to the network through local cops. After the break, Joseph tells us all about Nova, the planned product that Flock is making which will make the technology even more invasive by using hacked data. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel details the massive changes AI platform Civitai has made, and why it's partly in response to our reporting. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/-PTrY9x8K9c ICE Taps into Nationwide AI-Enabled Camera Network, Data Shows License Plate Reader Company Flock Is Building a Massive People Lookup Tool, Leak Shows Civitai Ban of Real People Content Deals Major Blow to the Nonconsensual AI Porn Ecosystem Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Jason's couple of stories about how the Chicago Sun-Times printed a summer guide that was basically all AI-generated. Jason spoke to the person behind it. After the break, a bunch of documents show that schools were simply not ready for AI. In the subscribers-only section, we chat all about Star Wars and those funny little guys. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/P2GzbKKeAFc Chicago Sun-Times Prints AI-Generated Summer Reading List With Books That Don't Exist Viral AI-Generated Summer Guide Printed by Chicago Sun-Times Was Made by Magazine Giant Hearst American Schools Were Deeply Unprepared for ChatGPT, Public Records Show Star Wars Shows the Future of AI Special Effects and It Sucks Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Jason and Matthew's story about an AI avatar that testified in court. It might be a sign of things to come. After the break, well, well, well, Meta is developing facial recognition for its smart glasses. In the subscribers-only section, Jason tells us all about AI in baseball. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Mq4gqNS0vRw 'I Loved That AI:' Judge Moved by AI-Generated Avatar of Man Killed in Road Rage Incident Well, Well, Well: Meta to Add Facial Recognition To Glasses After All The Simulation Says the Orioles Should Be Good Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week's episode with our massive story on TeleMessage, the Signal clone the Trump administration uses to archive messages which was hacked. We have more detail than anyone else on that story. After the break, Jason tells us about another hack, this time GlobalX Air, one of the airlines used by ICE for deportation flights. In the subscribers-only section, Sam and Emanuel tell us about the shut down of Mr. Deepfakes, and what the lasting legacy of the site will be. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/J__qWnFJZgA The Signal Clone the Trump Admin Uses Was Hacked Senator Demands Investigation into Trump Admin Signal Clone After 404 Media Investigation GlobalX, Airline for Trump’s Deportations, Hacked Mr. Deepfakes, the Biggest Deepfake Porn Site on the Internet, Says It’s Shutting Down for Good Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Sam's very in-depth story on Meta's AI chatbots, and how they're essentially posing as licensed therapists. After the break, Jason breaks down the wildly unethical AI-powered research that took place on Reddit. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains how the age of realtime deepfake fraud is here after he got a bunch of videos showing scammers do their thing. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/H5380M-hnJ4 Instagram's AI Chatbots Lie About Being Licensed Therapists Researchers Secretly Ran a Massive, Unauthorized AI Persuasion Experiment on Reddit Users Reddit Issuing 'Formal Legal Demands' Against Researchers Who Conducted Secret AI Experiment on Users The Age of Realtime Deepfake Fraud Is Here Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Emanuel and Jason's big story on Massive Blue, a company that is selling AI-powered undercover bots posing as protesters and children to the cops. After the break, Sam tells us about visiting the millennial saint. In the subscribers-only section, we talk business and the state of 404 Media. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/E98i9OFJbW4 Leaked: Palantir’s Plan to Help ICE Deport People ICE Plans Central Database of Health, Labor, Housing Agency Data to Find Targets This ‘College Protester’ Isn’t Real. It’s an AI-Powered Undercover Bot for Cops I Went to See ‘God’s Influencer,’ the Millennial Saint Carlo Acutis How 404 Media Is Navigating 'Economic Headwinds' Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason, Sam, and Blood in the Machine's Brian Merchant discuss how AI slop has taken over the internet, how it is a brute-force attack against the algorithms that control what we see on social media, and what we can do to fight back against it. This panel was held at Speakeasy in Austin, Texas at SXSW on March 10, 2025. Thanks to our friends at Flipboard for giving us the space and to DeleteMe for sponsoring the event. Use code "404Media" for 20% off an annual plan of DeleteMe: https://www.404media.co/r/5d94373c?m=e247fe06-53d6-4c05-9484-be3684d4f655 Find Brian's work at Blood in the Machine: https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/ Become a paid subscriber for access to bonus content: https://404media.co/membership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with a couple of Jason and Joseph's stories about the tool ICE uses to lookup an incredible amount of information about people. After the break, Joseph explains how he tested an AI service that calls your parents in case you can't be bothered. In the subscribers-only section, our new regular contributor Matthew Gault tells us all about the hack of 4chan and how we got here. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/gFmvCvvaB4k Inside a Powerful Database ICE Uses to Identify and Deport People I Tested The AI That Calls Your Elderly Parents If You Can't Be Bothered 4chan Is Down Following What Looks to Be a Major Hack Spurred By Meme War Subscribe at 404media.co Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Earlier this week we wrote an article called “A US-Made iPhone Is Pure Fantasy." The long and short of it is that Trump’s dream of moving all high tech manufacturing to the US is extremely difficult because global supply chains are so intricate, manufacturing expertise exists primarily in China, Vietnam, Cambodia, and other countries, and the components that go into a phone are often made in other countries as well. But there is currently one smartphone that qualifies for a “Made in the USA” title from the FTC. It’s the Liberty Phone, which is made by a company called Purism. The phone is a version of Purism’s Librem 5. The Made-in-China Librem 5 costs $800, and the Liberty phone costs $2,000. It has 4 GB of memory, and reviewers say that its specs are pretty outdated. Not every single component in the Liberty Phone is made in the USA, but the company has been trying very hard to make it as American-made as possible. The fact that it exists at all is kind of a miracle, and the way that Purism is approaching manufacturing is really interesting, so I called Purism’s founder, Todd Weaver, to talk about smartphone supply chains, making tech products in the United States, and tariffs. Here’s our discussion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Joseph's story revealing how the FBI secretly ran a massive money laundering ring to catch drug traffickers and hackers. After the break, we run through a bunch of tariff stories and how it's going to impact everything from the Nintendo Switch to the iPhone. In the subscribers-only section, Jason explains why he found the new book on Facebook particularly illuminating. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/XUAuEtirP8E ‘Elon Musk’ Was a Prolific Money Launderer for Hackers and Drug Traffickers. It Was Secretly the FBI Big Tech Backed Trump for Acceleration. They Got a Decel President Instead 'Sea of Idiocy:' Economists Say Trump Tariffs Will Raise Price of Switch 2 and Everything Else A 'US-Made iPhone' Is Pure Fantasy Framework Stops Selling Some of Its Laptops in the U.S. Due to Tariffs 'Careless People' Is the Book About Facebook I've Wanted for a Decade Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason, Sam, and Emanuel talk about Miyazaki being turned into a meme, the guys suing OnlyFans after being surprised to learn they were not actually talking to models, and the depravity of "brainrot" AI. Articles discussed: Hayao Miyazaki, Who Said AI Is ‘Insult to Life Itself,” Reduced to AI-Generated Meme by OpenAI: https://www.404media.co/hayao-miyazaki-who-said-ai-is-insult-to-life-itself-reduced-to-ai-generated-meme-by-openai/ OnlyFans Sued After Two Guys Realized They Might Not Actually Be Talking to Models: https://www.404media.co/onlyfans-sued-after-two-guys-realized-they-might-not-actually-be-talking-to-models/ Subscribers Only: 'Brainrot' AI on Instagram Is Monetizing the Most Fucked Up Things You Can Imagine (and Lots You Can't): https://www.404media.co/brainrot-ai-on-instagram-is-monetizing-the-most-fucked-up-things-you-can-imagine-and-lots-you-cant/ Become a paid subscriber for access to bonus content: https://404media.co/membership Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with the bankruptcy of commercial DNA company 23andMe, and what it means for its users' genetic data. Probably not good things! After the break, Joseph and Jason explain what 'Dogequest' is, and how people allegedly vandalizing Tesla locations have been caught. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel tells us about some fake audio of JD Vance talking about Musk, and then we all chat about the crazy Signal group chat story. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/OLh0IDigwAM DNA of 15 Million People for Sale in 23andMe Bankruptcy Did the FBI Seize My Vagina Cultures? ‘Dogequest’ Site Claims to Dox Tesla Owners Across the U.S. How Three Alleged Tesla Vandals Got Caught Viral Audio of JD Vance Badmouthing Elon Musk Is Fake, Just the Tip of the AI Iceberg Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Joseph's story about the 200+ sites an ICE contractor called ShadowDragon is monitoring. A lot of surprising ones on there. After the break, Emanuel explains why NASA, Yale, and Stanford scientists are considering leaving the U.S. for France. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel breaks down the fascinating reason why Super Nintendos are getting faster as they age. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/LBUsFawJ6E0 The 200+ Sites an ICE Surveillance Contractor is Monitoring NASA, Yale, and Stanford Scientists Consider 'Scientific Exile,' French University Says Super Nintendo Hardware Is Running Faster as It Ages Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Emanuel's great investigation into Chinese AI video models, and how they have far fewer safeguards than their American counterparts. A content warning for that section due to what the users are making. After the break, Joseph explains how police are using AI to summarize evidence seized from mobile phones. In the subscribers-only section, we chat about an AI-developed game that is making a ton of money. But your AI-generated game probably won't. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/_Sy_nw4gJVY Chinese AI Video Generators Unleash a Flood of New Nonconsensual Porn Alibaba Releases Advanced Open Video Model, Immediately Becomes AI Porn Machine Cellebrite Is Using AI to Summarize Chat Logs and Audio from Seized Mobile Phones This Game Created by AI 'Vibe Coding' Makes $50,000 a Month. Yours Probably Won’t Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Jason's article on how a Facebook group for Cybertruck owners is completely overrun with people flipping them off. Then Joseph explains how U.S. crypto traders are buying IDs from the tropical nation of Palau to skirt the law. Then in the subscribers-only section (with a content warning), we talk about Jason's story on a big Instagram bug that pushed really horrible stuff into ordinary peoples' feeds. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/nhgK-e3AeR0 SXSW event information Facebook Cybertruck Owners Group Copes With Relentless Mockery Buying a $250 Residency Card From a Tropical Island Let Me Bypass U.S. Crypto Laws Instagram 'Error' Turned Reels Into Neverending Scroll of Murder, Gore, and Violence Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week's episode with Joseph finding out someone basically ripped off his book with a potentially AI-generated summary. Emanuel also updates us on some of the impact his reporting on AI in libraries has had. After the break, Sam tells us all about a Y Combinator supported startup that is straight-up dehumanizing factory workers. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about an apparent act of protest from inside the U.S. government involving an AI video of Musk and Trump. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/Smx3xHTEZiE SXSW event information A Slop Publisher Sold a Ripoff of My Book on Amazon Y Combinator Supports AI Startup Dehumanizing Factory Workers AI Video of Trump Sucking Musk's Toes Blasted on Government Office TVs Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Jason's story about anyone being able to push updates to DOGE.gov website. Then we talk about other stories with the DEI.gov and Waste.gov sites. After the break, Sam tells us all about some lawyers who get caught using AI in a case. In the subscribers-only section, we chat about a true crime documentary YouTube channel where the murders were all AI-generated. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/wqjeDFk9LMo Anyone Can Push Updates to the DOGE.gov Website Researcher Captures Contents of ‘DEI.gov’ Before It Was Hidden Behind a Password Elon Musk's Waste.gov Is Just a WordPress Theme Placeholder Page Lawyers Caught Citing AI-Hallucinated Cases Call It a 'Cautionary Tale' A ‘True Crime’ Documentary Series Has Millions of Views. The Murders Are All AI-Generated Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we discuss a new Microsoft study that finds using generative AI is "atrophying" people's cognition and critical thinking skills and the right's war on Wikipedia. Articles discussed: Microsoft Study Finds AI Makes Human Cognition “Atrophied and Unprepared” Wikipedia Prepares for 'Increase in Threats' to US Editors From Musk and His Allies You Can’t Post Your Way Out of Fascism Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We dedicate the whole free section of this episode to Musk’s takeover of the federal government. We got audio from a meeting in which a Musk ally laid out their plans for AI across the government, and revealed who is now the head of HR for DOGE. In the subscribers only section, we talk about how your public library probably already has a bunch of AI slop. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/fTgHpq4-psQ ‘Things Are Going to Get Intense:’ How a Musk Ally Plans to Push AI on the Government Musk’s DOGE Brings in HR Consultant Focused on ‘Non-Woke’ DEI 'Aligned With Our Faith’ AI-Generated Slop Is Already In Your Public Library Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Emanuel's rundown on the DeepSeek situation, the Chinese-made AI that has rocked stock markets and the wider AI industry. After the break, Sam explains how metadata in U.S. government memos lists Project 2025 members as the memo authors. In the subscribers-only section, Jason and Sam explain how GitHub is showing the U.S. government's purging of information in real time. YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=351BmM2SaXY DeepSeek Mania Shakes AI Industry to Its Core Memos to Federal Employees Were Written By People With Ties to Project 2025, Metadata Shows Trump’s Administration Is Taking Down Sites About Gender Identity All Over the Internet GitHub Is Showing the Trump Administration Scrubbing Government Web Pages in Real Time Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this special guest episode of the 404 Media Podcast, Sam talks to Alexzandra Kekesi, VP of Brand and Community at Pornhub. Kekesi started in her current role in August 2023, after working for Pornhub and its parent company for more than a decade. She joined us from Montreal, where Pornhub is headquartered. They discuss the stigma facing the adult industry, Luigi Mangione porn, the trad wife to feet pics pipeline, and algorithms that shut you down for showing side boob. Kekesi also breaks down Pornhub’s choice to pull out of states in more than a third of the U.S., following regressive age verification laws. Pornhub Sees Surge of Interest in Tradwife Content, ‘Modesty,’ and Mindfulness Pornhub Is Now Blocked In Almost All of the U.S. South Age Verification Laws Drag Us Back to the Dark Ages of the Internet Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with the TikTok ban: how we got here, what happened, and, most importantly, why it means we need more decentralized services. Jason runs us through it. After the break, Joseph breaks down a site called GeoSpy which is marketing geolocation technology to the cops. In the subscribers-only section, we all scroll through an archive of old Nokia (yes, Nokia) designs. Good stuff in there. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/DOXnpENi8Sg 02:27 Decentralized Social Media Is the Only Alternative to the Tech Oligarchy The U.S. Wants to Ban TikTok for the Sins of Every Social Media Company 27:31 The Powerful AI Tool That Cops (or Stalkers) Can Use to Geolocate Photos in Seconds Nokia’s Weird Y2K Designs Show the Future We Could Have Had Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got much more on what is happening inside Meta with the company's recent speech policy changes. Jason runs us through it. After the break, Joseph explains how thousands of apps have been hijacked to steal your location data, possibly without the app developers' knowledge. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about various stories intersecting with the LA fires, such as Amazon delivery drivers and AI images. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/ItOENEWAy3s. ‘It’s Total Chaos Internally at Meta Right Now’: Employees Protest Zuckerberg’s Anti LGBTQ Changes Meta Deletes Trans and Nonbinary Messenger Themes Candy Crush, Tinder, MyFitnessPal: See the Thousands of Apps Hijacked to Spy on Your Location Online Behavioral Ads Fuel the Surveillance Industry—Here’s How People Think AI Images of Hollywood Sign Burning Are Real An Amazon Delivery Confirmation Photo Is the Last Time a Palisades Resident Saw Her Burnt Down House ‘We’re Fine’: Lying to Ourselves About a Climate Disaster Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're back! And holy moly what a start to the year. We just published a bunch of stories. First, Jason talks about blowback inside Meta to its new board member, and Meta's subsequent censoring of those views. We also chat about those mad Meta AI profiles. After the break, Sam explains why Pornhub is blocked in most of the U.S. south. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph talks about why the government is planning to name one of its most important (and at risk) witnesses. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/avuq1NXe6DM Facebook Deletes Internal Employee Criticism of New Board Member Dana White Meta's AI Profiles Are Indistinguishable From Terrible Spam That Took Over Facebook Pornhub Is Now Blocked In Almost All of the U.S. South Government to Name ‘Key Witness’ Who Provided FBI With Backdoored Encrypted Chat App Anom Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a special year in review episode! We riff on the last year in AI, media, journalism, and more. We'll be back with a normal news show in the new year! YouTube version: https://youtu.be/t5RuHgk52MM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a re-upload that was previously only for paying subscribers! It gives a lot more context on the how and why we cover AI they way we do. Subscribe at 404media.co for more bonus content like this. Here's the original description of the episode: We got a lot of, let's say, feedback, with some of our recent stories on artificial intelligence. One was about people using Bing's AI to create images of cartoon characters flying a plane into a pair of skyscrapers. Another was about 4chan using the same tech to quickly generate racist images. Here, we use that dialogue as a springboard to chat about why we cover AI the way we do, the purpose of journalism, and how that relates to AI and tech overall. This was fun, and let us know what you think. Definitely happy to do more of these sorts of discussions for our subscribers in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Jason, as both a drones and aliens reporter, tells us what is most likely happening with the mysterious drones flying over New Jersey. After the break, Joseph explains how cops in Serbia are using Cellebrite phone unlocking tech as a doorway to installing malware on activists' and journalists' phones. In the subscribers-only section, Sam tells us all about an amazing art project using traffic cameras in New York City. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/T_JVUHbAzf4 WTF Is Going on With the New Jersey Mystery Drones? Maybe Mass Panic Over Nothing The No-Win 'Mystery Drone' Clusterfuck Cellebrite Unlocked This Journalist’s Phone. Cops Then Infected it With Malware Traffic Camera 'Selfie' Creator Holds Cease and Desist Letter in Front of Traffic Cam Subscribe at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Joseph's story about how the weapon found on the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO murderer was a particular 3D printed design. Then Jason tells us what he found about the alleged killer Luigi Mangione through his online accounts, and why, ultimately, this kind of journalism might not matter. After the break, Sam talks about how various healthcare companies removed pages about their leadership after the murder, and what we're seeing when it comes to social content moderation around it. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about Congress getting big mad at Apple and Google after 404 Media's reporting on deepfake apps. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/HuyJp3QDTbk 404 Media Objects to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Subpoena to Access Our Reporting UnitedHealthcare Shooting Person of Interest Had 3D Printed Glock Luigi Mangione Played 'Among Us,' Breathes Air Major Health Insurance Companies Take Down Leadership Pages Following Murder of United Healthcare CEO Moderators Across Social Media Struggle to Contain Celebrations of UnitedHealthcare CEO’s Assassination Congress Pushes Apple to Remove Deepfake Apps After 404 Media Investigation Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Sam's stories about multiple people building big datasets of Bluesky users' posts. People are not happy! After the break, Jason talks all about reverse-engineering Redbox machines, and a trip he took to see one being ripped up. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains two big moves the U.S. government is making against data brokers. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/i1NlQixGW2I Your Bluesky Posts Are Probably In A Bunch of Datasets Now The Redbox Removal Team FTC Bans Location Data Company That Powers the Surveillance Ecosystem U.S. Government Tries to Stop Data Brokers That Help Dox People Through Credit Data Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Emanuel's couple of stories about Niantic, the company that makes Pokémon Go, and its plan to build an AI model based on data collected by its users. After the break, Jason and Emanuel talk about their big investigation into the rise of "AI pimping." In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains why he doesn't use a mobile phone and how he uses an iPad Mini instead. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/9NhJGqEqx-U Pokémon Go Players Have Unwittingly Trained AI to Navigate the World Pokémon Go Data ‘Adding Amplitude to War Is Obviously an Issue,’ Niantic Exec Says Inside the Booming 'AI Pimping' Industry I Don't Own a Cellphone. Can This Privacy-Focused Network Change That? Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with Emanuel's story on how AI-powered ads on Buzzfeed are recommending people buy things like a hat worn by a person who died by suicide. After the break, Joseph talks about an unprecedented leak out of phone forensics tech Graykey. In the subscribers-only section, Sam tells us about HarperCollins' AI deal and how MIT Press is exploring one too. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/CAw0VvCvavA AI-Powered Buzzfeed Ads Suggest You Buy Hat of Man Who Died by Suicide Leaked Documents Show What Phones Secretive Tech ‘Graykey’ Can Unlock HarperCollins Confirms It Has a Deal to Sell Authors' Work to AI Company AI Companies Are Trying to Get MIT Press Books Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is sponsored by DeleteMe. Friend of 404 Media Matthew Gault talks to Rachel Tobac, CEO of SocialProof Security, about the ways scammers and criminals are using AI, and how it's changing social engineering attacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Joseph starts with his scoop on how Apple quietly introduced code that reboots iPhones, locking out cops. After the break, we all talk about the big Blue Sky migration. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about how we plan to cover, and what to cover, in the new U.S. administration. YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNRjqqe29iE Apple Quietly Introduced iPhone Reboot Code Which is Locking Out Cops The Big Blue Sky Migration Why the Work Still Matters Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Election Day in the U.S. Jason tells us about EagleAI, a piece of software that could be used to purge voter rolls in the country. After the break, Sam breaks down Microsoft's mistake around gender-predicting AI, and an experiment to test when Instagram considers a nipple as female. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph goes long on his investigation into the infostealer industry. YouTube version: https://youtu.be/JDAW53zv29g Inside the Plan to Use AI to Purge Voter Rolls Microsoft Provided Gender Detection AI on Accident When Does Instagram Decide a Nipple Becomes Female? Inside the Massive Crime Industry That is Hacking Billion Dollar Companies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An Elon Musk-funded super PAC has expanded an advertising campaign in which it is impersonating Democrats and targeting registered Republicans with policies unpopular with conservatives they say Kamala Harris will pass if she wins the election. Plus, Sam takes us inside Northwell Health, New York's largest hospital system, which is pushing AI on its doctors. Articles discussed in this podcast: https://www.404media.co/elon-musk-funded-pac-supercharges-progress-2028-democrat-impersonation-ad-campaign/ https://www.404media.co/northwell-health-ai-hub-tool-chatgpt-doctors/ https://www.404media.co/scientists-and-archivists-worry-epic-games-control-of-the-3d-model-market-will-destroy-cultural-heritage/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special interview episode of the 404 Media podcast, I talked to Susanna Gibson, a nurse practitioner who ran for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2023 and is now a victim advocate for folks targeted by non-consensual intimate imagery online—after becoming one herself last year.  Most people probably recognize Gibson from her candidacy and the news stories surrounding it. While she was running for office, images of her having sex with her then-husband started circulating on the internet without her consent. But I had the chance to get to know her a little deeper: We got into why she became a nurse, what inspired her to enter politics, and the moment she found out about the videos. The experience changed the trajectory of her life. We talk about her shift to advocacy with her nonprofit, MyOwn Image, which has the mission of fighting technology-facilitated gendered violence. Gibson recently introduced model legislation for states that provides a framework for addressing image-based sexual abuse.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with a massive story about location data. Privacy advocates gained access to a tool bought by multiple U.S. agencies called Locate X, which tracks smartphones around the world. We focused on how it can be used to track abortion clinic visitors. After the break we have a special guest: Becky Ferreira, author of our recently launched column The Abstract! Becky tells us all about her journey into science journalism and a couple of the studies she's covered. In the subscribers-only section, Jason explains how he found a Musk-funded PAC was targeting opposing Snapchat ads to Muslim and Jewish voters in the U.S. YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGsobtws2MU Inside the U.S. Government-Bought Tool That Can Track Phones at Abortion Clinics Is There Life on Europa? This Is Exactly How an Elon Musk-Funded PAC Is Microtargeting Muslims and Jews With Opposing Messages Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week's episode with the ongoing (and pretty confusing!) conflict between Wordpress.com and WP Engine. It might sound like drama, but it actually could have ramifications for the wider web. Sam talks us through it. After the break, Jason explains how he used AI to apply to more than a dozen jobs over breakfast, and how tons of other people are using these tools themselves. In the subscribers-only section, Jason talks about a presentation inside the National Archives which shows the agency's big push towards AI. YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H_E4yjTJZQ ‘The Community Is In Chaos:’ WordPress.org Now Requires You Denounce Affiliation With WP Engine To Log In ‘I Applied to 2,843 Roles’: The Rise of AI-Powered Job Application Bots ‘AI-Mazing Tech-Venture’: National Archives Pushes Google Gemini AI on Employees Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Joseph's piece about a couple of Harvard students who cobbled together a pair of Meta's smart glasses that automatically dox people just by looking at them. After break, Sam and Emanuel talk about two Hurricane Helene stories about data and AI. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph talks about a hacked dataset that shows the prompts used on an AI companion site. Heavy content warning for that section. YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z3QcY6aGpQ Someone Put Facial Recognition Tech onto Meta's Smart Glasses to Instantly Dox Strangers Hurricane Helene Knocked One of the World’s Largest Climate Data Archives Offline Hurricane Helene and the ‘Fuck It’ Era of AI-Generated Slop Hacked ‘AI Girlfriend’ Data Shows Prompts Describing Child Sexual Abuse Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a trailer for the subscribers-only podcast for 404 Media's one year anniversary! We go long on the business, subscriber numbers, what people value, how to get our articles in front of people, and what we're looking to do next year! If you want to hear the rest, please become a subscriber at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the past two weeks we've had a ton of stories where AI and other companies have opted users into data collection and processing by default. What the hell is going on??? They're all doing it at once! Jason starts us off with how Udemy created an 'opt-out window'. If you missed it, you're out of luck until next year. Then after the break, Sam and Joseph discuss similar stories with PayPal and LinkedIn. In the subscribers-only section, Sam talks about how a woman was essentially trapped in a driverless Waymo. Massive E-Learning Platform Udemy Gave Teachers a Gen AI 'Opt-Out Window'. It's Already Over. Paypal Opted You Into Sharing Data Without Your Knowledge LinkedIn Is Training AI on User Data Before Updating Its Terms of Service Men Harassed A Woman In A Driverless Waymo, Trapping Her In Traffic *This show is sponsored by BetterHelp* Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have two related stories this week. First, Joseph, Emanuel, and Sam break down their experiences with Telegram, and the social network's massive policy shift. The company says it will now process valid legal requests from law enforcement for user data. After the break, Joseph tells us how the walls are closing in on one of the most disruptive hackers in recent memory. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel explains why Nintendo's lawsuit against Palworld is bad, and why Nintendo will probably win. YouTube version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90T71r3h7oc Telegram Changes Policy, Says It Will Provide User Data to Authorities The Walls Are Closing in on the Snowflake Hacker ‘Cold-Blooded Business’: Nintendo Is Patent Trolling Palworld Because It Got Too Big Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We chime in on the developing story coming out of Lebanon about a wave of exploding pagers. Jason has some unusual expertise that is pretty relevant here. After the break, Jason breaks down why Larry Ellison's AI-powered surveillance dystopia is already here. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel explains how he figured out what is, and is not, happening with Snapchat's future AI selfie ads. Experts: Lebanon Pager Explosions Likely Not Lithium Batteries Alone Larry Ellison's AI-Powered Surveillance Dystopia Is Already Here Snapchat Reserves the Right to Use AI-Generated Images of Your Face in Ads Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got a really varied one today. First, Sam talks about the new wave of sextortion emails which send a target their home address to scare them into paying. After the break, Jason talks about the rise of the right to repair movement, but for your body and prescription drugs. In the subscribers-only section, Jason breaks down a years old Reddit mystery that is finally solved, thanks to some facial recognition tech. Sextortion Scammers Try to Scare People by Sending Photos of Their Homes ‘Right to Repair for Your Body’: The Rise of DIY, Pirated Medicine 'Celebrity Number Six' Internet Mystery Is Solved Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The organization that runs National Novel Writing Month, a November challenge to write 50,000 words, said "the categorical condemnation of Artificial Intelligence has classist and ableist undertones." Does it? Also Discussed: NaNoWriMo Says Condemning AI Is ‘Classist and Ableist’ This Is Doom Running on a Diffusion Model Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emanuel and Jason break down the arrest of Telegram cofounder Pavel Durov, a slide deck showing "active listening" advertising based on microphone data, and a concerning new study that shows AI-generated CSAM is more common than you think.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month Joseph went to the annual DEF CON hacking conference and spoke to a bunch of interesting hackers, researchers, and technologists. We wanted to provide our paying subscribers with a snapshot of what it's like to be at DEF CON—the sounds, the vibe, the people, the hacks. Become a paying subscriber now at 404media.co to listen! The Golden Age of Hackers in Vegas Is Over Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Sam starts with how Taylor Swift could sue Donald Trump for posting a series of fake, AI-generated images that claimed she wanted fans to vote for the presidential candidate. After the break, Joseph pieces together how the U.S. has been quietly using hacked messages from an encrypted phone company to prosecute alleged cocaine traffickers. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about how Sam triggered a lawsuit against Nvidia for scraping YouTube, and go longer on why we generate impact and how. Swift Could Sue Trump Under State Law for Fake AI Endorsement US Feds Are Tapping a Half Billion Encrypted Messaging Goldmine Nvidia Sued for Scraping YouTube After 404 Media Investigation Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're dedicating a whole episode to Sam's new narrative piece on how a ragtag group of friends hunted down a wanted sex trafficking ringleader. First we give you all the context for why this person, Michael Pratt, eventually ended up on the FBI's Most Wanted list. Then Sam breaks down the hunt for Pratt, told through the eyes of the people who were there. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains how and why hackers are "Airbnb hopping." 'She Turned Ghost White:' How a Ragtag Group of Friends Tracked Down a Sex Trafficking Ringleader ‘Airbnb Hopping’: How Hunted Hackers Stay on the Run From Kidnappers Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a big one. Sam got hold of a massive leak of internal Nvidia emails, Slack messages, and documents which show how the tech giant is scraping YouTube and Netflix for its own purposes. In the second half of the show, Jason peels back the curtain on who is behind the wave of AI spam on Facebook and how they're doing it; finally an answer after months of investigation. In the subscribers-only section, we talk DEF CON, our experiences at the conference, and give a little preview of something DEF CON-related for our paying subscribers coming soon. Leaked Documents Show Nvidia Scraping ‘A Human Lifetime’ of Videos Per Day to Train AI Where Facebook's AI Slop Comes From Hotel to Search Rooms During DEF CON Hacking Conference Subscribe for bonus content at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special interview episode with Meredith Whittaker, the president of the Signal Foundation. I'm sure you all know, and maybe even use, the Signal messaging app. Here we sat down with Whittaker to talk all about the state of Signal today, the threat of AI to end-to-end encryption, what backdoors actually look like, and much more. This is a wide-ranging discussion where one of the few journalists who has revealed new details about backdoors (Joseph) gets to speak to one of the most important people in the world of encryption (Whittaker). Definitely take a listen. Paid subscribers got access to this episode early by the way. Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever Signal page on government data requests Microsoft Will Switch Off Recall by Default After Security Backlash Telegram CEO Pavel Durov interview Subscribe at 404media.co for early access and bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got a bumper episode today. First off, a whole series of stories about robots.txt and its increased use against AI, as well as Reddit only being available in Google results now (and not other search engines like DuckDuckGo). Then after the break, Sam discusses her amazing scoop which showed that multibillion dollar company Runway scraped videos from individual YouTube creators. In the subscribers-section, everyone educates Joseph on what Skibidi is. The Backlash Against AI Scraping Is Real and Measurable Websites are Blocking the Wrong AI Scrapers (Because AI Companies Keep Making New Ones) Google Is the Only Search Engine That Works on Reddit Now Thanks to AI Deal AI Video Generator Runway Trained on Thousands of YouTube Videos Without Permission Skibidi Toilet Copyright Takedown Request to Garry’s Mod Is Very Dumb Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some weeks are just crazy. On Friday, Windows machines around the world went down due to a faulty update to CrowdStrike's security software. We discuss what happened, and why, and the impact. After the break, Sam tells us how she vaped the internet (yep). In the subscribers-only section, we describe some leaked Cellebrite documents we got, which show what phones Cellebrite can (and can't) unlock. To Fix CrowdStrike Blue Screen of Death Simply Reboot 15 Straight Times, Microsoft Says CrowdStrike ‘Deeply Sorry for the Inconvenience’ CrowdStrike Outage Impacted U.S. Government Agencies I Tried to Vape the Internet Subscribe at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes a hack just completely blows you away. Late last week we learned that hackers had taken the call and text records of "nearly all" AT&T customers. That's absolutely staggering! We break down why it matters in the first half of the show, as well as discuss one of the hackers linked to the incident. After the break, Emanuel tells us about what the new Vice President hopeful JD Vance could mean for the AI industry. In the subscribers-only section, we talk all about a site selling faces for fraud. Hackers Steal Text and Call Records of ‘Nearly All’ AT&T Customers American Hacker in Turkey Linked to Massive AT&T Breach Dunking on J.D. Vance’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is ‘Unusual Behavior,’ Goodreads Says AI Maxers Thrilled with Trump’s Vice President Pick JD Vance Inside the Face Fraud Factory Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So, the Ticketmaster hack got a lot, lot worse. Jason breaks down why in the first half of the show. After the break, we talk more Ticketmaster, and how scalpers have teamed up with hackers to liberate "non-transferable" tickets. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains the latest with sales of netflow data to the U.S. government. Ticketmaster Confirms Hack in SEC Filing The Ticketmaster Hack Is Becoming a Logistical Nightmare for Fans and Brokers Scalpers Work With Hackers to Liberate Ticketmaster's ‘Non-Transferable’ Tickets U.S. Nuke Agency Buys Internet Backbone Data Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this episode talking about some exciting updates for the podcast! For the first story, Joseph explains how an ID verification service for TikTok, Uber, and X exposed driver licenses, in a sign of what may be come as more sites demand to know our real identities. After the break, Jason breaks down what the FBI found when it investigated a specific Zoom Bombing ring. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel and Joseph talk all about TLO, a powerful data tool that is being advertised on Fiverr to dox anyone for $30. ID Verification Service for TikTok, Uber, X Exposed Driver Licenses 'Local Residents' Terrorizing City Council Meetings Were Actually Overseas, Feds Allege Fiverr Freelancers Offer to Dox Anyone With Powerful U.S. Data Tool Subscribe at gain access to bonus content at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a fun one: Emanuel made his own ChatGPT-powered news site that ripped off our work and that of WIRED, The Verge, and others to show just how easy spinning up one of these AI click farms really is. After the break, we listen to some of the AI-generated music that has major record labels suing some startups. In the subscribers-only section, Sam tells us all about how a bunch of chatbots suddenly changed personality overnight. I Paid $365.63 to Replace 404 Media With AI Listen to the AI-Generated Ripoff Songs That Got Udio and Suno Sued ‘No Bot is Themselves Anymore:’ Character.ai Users Report Sudden Personality Changes to Chatbots Subscribe and gain access to bonus content at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joseph is out this week, so the leftover crew considers what it means for Google image search to be taken over by AI images, talks about #finance, and discusses how an already sensationalist NY Times article about internet in the Amazon rainforest got further sensationalized. Articles discussed: AI Images in Google Search Results Have Opened a Portal to Hell You Probably Unwittingly Voted to Give Elon Musk a Huge Raise First Google Search Result for Tiananmen Square “Tank Man” Is AI Generated Selfie ‘Remote’ Amazonian Tribes Have Been Using the Internet for a Long Time Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It feels way longer than a week since our last episode, weird. Anyway this week we start with a wild story with Emanuel, about how people in the US are paying a company, which in turn hires people in the Philippines to then call around U.S. pharmacies to check whether certain drugs are in stock. It shows just how bad the Adderall shortage in the U.S. has gotten. After the break, Sam tells us about a particularly alarming AirTags stalking case, and how the FBI flipped the script on the suspect. In the subscribers-only section, Jason breaks down a bunch of new information regarding the (alleged?) bankruptcy of media organization the Gateway Pundit. Americans Are Hiring People in the Philippines to Help Them Find Adderall A Suspected Human Smuggler Used AirTags to Track and Control The Woman He Brought Into the U.S. Gateway Pundit Bankruptcy Is a 'Delay Tactic,' Election Workers Suing the Company Say Subscribe for bonus content at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A something extra for our listeners this week. Joseph went on an episode of Whale Hunting to talk about his new book DARK WIRE, in which the FBI secretly ran its own encrypted messaging app to wiretap the world. Whale Hunting is a great podcast that has journalists go behind-the-scenes on their own stories. It is absolutely worth listening to if you don't already! Whale Hunting Podcast DARK WIRE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with a massive leak from inside Google. We obtained a copy of an internal Google database the company uses to track potential privacy and security issues. It's incredibly rare to get this sort of insight into a big tech company, and we explain what's inside the data itself. After the break, Sam tells us who deepfake legislation may leave behind. In the subscribers-only section, Jason explains how he tracked down the earliest known source of the All Eyes on Rafah image: a Facebook group dedicated to the AI industry. Inside the Biggest FBI Sting Operation in History Google Leak Reveals Thousands of Privacy Incidents Google Contractor Used Admin Access to Leak Info From Private Nintendo YouTube Video Laws About Deepfakes Can’t Leave Sex Workers Behind Viral ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ Image Came From Facebook Group to Make ‘AI Industry Prosper’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We revisit our Why Google Is Shit Now episode with something of an update: Google got worse! Of course we're talking about the embarrassing rollout of Google's AI-powered answers. Jason explains the supply chain of data, and especially how it comes from Reddit posts. After the break, Emanuel continues the Google theme with a Google researcher written study which shows that AI is now a leading disinformation vector. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about Sam's and Emaunel's piece on AI-generated CSAM not being a victimless crime. Google Is Paying Reddit $60 Million for Fucksmith to Tell Its Users to Eat Glue Google Researchers Say AI Now Leading Disinformation Vector (and Are Severely Undercounting the Problem) AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material Is Not a ‘Victimless Crime’ Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Really excited about this one. We spend the entire episode talking about SS7, the fundamental network and protocol which is both at the heart of the world's telecommunications infrastructure, and crucial for governments, spy firms, and criminals to monitor people or intercept texts. In the first half we break ton what SS7 is, why it's an issue, and our nearly 10 years of experience covering it. Then, we talk about the news we revealed about a U.S. cybersecurity official breaking rank with his agency to expose SS7 attacks in the U.S. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about Axon's new ChatGPT-like tool which automatically creates narratives from police bodycam audio, and all the implications that might have. Cyber Official Speaks Out, Reveals Mobile Network Attacks in U.S. Here Is What Axon’s Bodycam Report Writing AI Looks Like Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got something of a John Deere special episode this week. We start with Jason's piece on how the recent solar storm knocked out GPS for John Deere tractors, having a direct impact on farming across the country. After the break, Jason breaks down his deep dive into the various walls closing around John Deere's right to repair monopoly. In the subscribers-only section, we've got two wild Amazon stories: one on the bots used by Amazon workers to book time off, and another on "Swag Bucks," Amazon's internal employee cash system. Solar Storm Knocks Out Farmers' Tractor GPS Systems During Peak Planting Season The Walls Are Closing in on John Deere’s Tractor Repair Monopoly Amazon Workers Use Bots to Claim Limited Supply of Time Off Amazon’s Swag Store Sells Neck Fans to Prevent Workers from Overheating Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apologies for some audio issues this week, they'll be fixed next time, but for now we have a super packed episode! We start with Jason's months-long deep dive into what Facebook has become with all of that AI-generated garbage on the site. It's not the dead internet, it's something much worse. After the break, Emanuel explains how Pokemon Go players are manipulating mapping technology to cheat at the game. Then in the subscribers-only section, Jason breaks down the latest cat and mouse game between ticket sellers and brokers. Facebook’s AI Spam Isn’t the ‘Dead Internet’: It’s the Zombie Internet Pokémon Go Players Invent Fake Beaches on Real Maps to Catch Rare Wigletts How Resellers Are Transferring Billie Eilish's 'Untransferable' Tickets Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week's episode with a mystery: where did a 17-second music snippet that has puzzled online sleuths for years really come from? Sam breaks it down. After the break, Joseph explains how an online service was scraping and selling Discord server messages for as little as $5. Then in the subscribers-only section, Jason takes us into the world of influencers who are using AI livestream apps, complete with fake audiences, and how they're being used to target women. Long Lost Song Hunted By Thousands Found in 80s Porno Discord Shuts Down ‘Spy Pet’ Bots That Scraped, Sold User Messages Men Use Fake Livestream Apps With AI Audiences to Hit on Women Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a long one! First Joseph previews his upcoming book, DARK WIRE. Go to the link below and enter "DW20" for 20% off! Also make sure to redeem your preorder behind-the-scenes bonus content. As for this week's stories, we start off with Jason explaining why we can, we must, dunk on the Humane Ai Pin, a piece of hardware that is AI's Juicero moment. After the break, Emanuel shows that Instagram is advertising deepfake nudify apps, the sort that are being abused right now in schools. In the subscribers-only section, we talk a bunch about Reddit, and especially how a tool has been made to sprinkle AI-generated product placements into popular Reddit threads. Preorder DARK WIRE for bonus content and 20% off with code "DW20" We Can, and We Must, Clown on the Humane AI Pin Forever Instagram Advertises Nonconsensual AI Nude Apps AI Is Poisoning Reddit to Promote Products and Game Google With 'Parasite SEO' Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this episode with Joseph's latest fly-on-the-wall investigation into the Com, the nebulous online entity and culture that is linked to some of the most high profile and brazen data breaches in recent history. Joseph sat in their chatrooms while rival hackers and criminals doxed and physically robbed one another. A true melding of digital and physical crime. After the break, Jason breaks down why some researchers are calling out Google on some of its AI science research. In the subscribers-only section, Sam explains why a guy made an AI-powered (kinda) sex box. Inside the ‘Com World War’: Robberies, Brickings, and ‘Drama’ Is Google's AI Actually Discovering 'Millions of New Materials?' This Man Wants to ‘Save the World’ By Letting You Jerk Off Into a Computer Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start the episode with an announcement: we've brought on our first 404 Media fellow Jules Roscoe! They did amazing work at Motherboard, and we're stoked to have them on board to cover labor for us and getting our work to audiences wherever they are. As for this week's stories, we start with Jason's wild one about grifters who are taking influencer's videos, deepfaking an AI face onto them, and then driving people to OnlyFans-style accounts. After the break, Sam talks about the couple who have finally got porn onto the Apple Vision Pro. In the subscribers-only section, Jules tells us what they saw when visiting a particular, Zoom-powered chicken shop in NYC. ‘AI Instagram Influencers’ Are Deepfaking Their Faces Onto Real Women’s Bodies How Amateur Performers Are Making Porn in the Apple Vision Pro NYC Chicken Shop Replaces Cashier With Woman in Philippines On Zoom Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a super fun episode with a lot of labor themes throughout. Jason starts off by describing the totally wild Xz backdoor which, in a way, was an open source labor issue. Then Emanuel takes us through how AI might be sneaking into the peer-review process. Then in the subscribers-only section, Sam explains why a major journal has decided to stop the use of an infamous image in its papers. The Xz Backdoor Highlights the Vulnerability of Open Source Software—and Its Strengths ChatGPT Looms Over the Peer-Review Crisis Scientific Journal Bans Images of ‘Lena,’ Researchers’ Favorite Centerfold Subscribe at 404media.co for access to the bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A jam packed episode this week. First, Jason explains how a 'study' that says surveillance company Flock is “instrumental in solving 10 percent of reported crime in the US” is heavily flawed. He got a bunch of internal emails and spoke to those involved. After the break, Sam and Emanuel tell us how people are being pushed to far sketchier parts of the web after Pornhub pulled out of Texas. Then in the subscribers-only section, Jason and Joseph detail how they dug into the new owners of Deadspin, and what that all means for the wider media industry. Let’s Talk About the Flock Study That Says It Solves Crime Age Verification Laws Drag Us Back to the Dark Ages of the Internet Deadspin Is Becoming a Gambling Referral Site Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shrimp Jesus. Shrimp Jesus. Shrimp Jesus. That is what the first story is about! We now have robust academic research into the mass of AI-generated garbage flooding Facebook. Jason takes us through what this era of Facebook means. After the break, Sam explains why Pornhub pulled out of Texas. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph shows how two of the biggest safe lock manufacturers in the world have put backdoors into their products. Facebook’s Algorithm Is Boosting AI Spam That Links to AI-Generated, Ad-Laden Click Farms Pornhub Pulls Out of Texas Massively Popular Safe Locks Have Secret Backdoor Codes Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content and an ad-free version of the podcast. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Somehow we filled a whole hour and it felt like five minutes! First Joseph explains his deep story on how hackers and fraudsters are injecting themselves into the electronic prescription system to order mountains of drugs. Then Emanuel breaks down how 404 Media, bizarrely, is included in a fake Netflix trailer that was probably made for the benefit of the Russian state. Then in the subscribers-only section, the group chats about ElevenLabs, and how Emanuel bypassed the company's "no-go voice" policy. How Hackers Dox Doctors to Order Mountains of Oxy and Adderall Why Is 404 Media Included in a Fake Netflix Trailer Made by Russia? ElevenLabs Block on Cloning Biden's Voice Easily Bypassed Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We go long (and play some bonus audio) for Jason's story inside the wild world of TikTok and Instagram hustlers who are using AI to swarm platforms with automatically generated garbage content. Some of them are making a killing in the process. After the break, we talk about Sam's story on Etsy sellers stealing fan fiction writers' work. Then in the subscriber-only section, Jason breaks down why a right to repair victory in Oregon is a massive deal for Apple globally. Inside the World of TikTok Spammers and the AI Tools That Enable Them Fanfiction Community Rocked By Etsy Sellers Turning Their Work Into Bound Books Oregon Passes Bill That Would Make iPhones More Repairable Everywhere Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tumblr and WordPress are set to sell posts to OpenAI and Midjourney. And cops are wearing body cameras in libraries. In this episode, Jason, Sam, and Emanuel try to explain what it means for OpenAI and Midjourney to scrape Tumblr's posts, broader chaos at the company, and whether AI is going to run out of things to ingest. Then we talk about the war on libraries, which is taking place all over the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New format alert! We are experimenting with publishing additional interview episodes! These will not replace the normal weekly show. Rather, we'll upload an interview with people we find interesting whenever we feel a good opportunity comes up. Subscribers as usual get early and ad-free access. This episode is with Byron Tau, an investigative journalist and author of the new book Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government is Creating a New American Surveillance State. Joseph's and Byron's work on location data has bounced off each others' for years. Finally, the pair sit down and talk all about the adtech surveillance industry. Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government is Creating a New American Surveillance State Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A ton of stuff to talk about this week. We start with Jason and Emanuel's dive into how a deepfake nudify app rocked a high school. We got a copy of the police report, and more than anything else it shows we're simply not ready for what deepfakes will mean for ordinary people. Then Joseph talks about uncovering a network of fake funeral livestream scams on Facebook. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about Jason and Sam's very serious investigation into whether a certain brand of vibrator is actually delivering malware or not. ‘What Was She Supposed to Report?:’ Police Report Shows How a High School Deepfake Nightmare Unfolded Fake Funeral Live Stream Scams Are All Over Facebook Do Spencer’s Vibrators Have Malware on Them? An Investigation Subscribe for bonus content at 404media.co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got a real variety this week. First, Emanuel talks about Paradox.ai, a tool that massive brands like McDonald's, CVS, and FedEx are using to screen job applicants. It uses a bit of AI, but really this is more of a labor story. Then Jason breaks down Stract, an open source search engine that is trying to do search better than the increasingly bad experience of Google. In the subscribers-only section, the group goes long on how a viral story about a botnet of toothbrushes turned out to not be true, and how we've dealt with similar stories before. Service Jobs Now Require Bizarre Personality Test From AI Company This Guy Has Built an Open Source Search Engine as an Alternative to Google in His Spare Time The Viral Smart Toothbrush Botnet Story Is Not Real Get that bonus content by subscribing at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Joseph's investigation into OnlyFake, an underground website that lets anyone generate convincing photos of fake IDs at the click of a mouse. Joseph successfully used one of these to bypass the identity verification process at a cryptocurrency exchange. This really will have massive implications for crime and cybersecurity more generally. After the break, we have a double feature with a story about AI audio porn and then a likely low tech response to the ongoing deepfake crisis. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel tells us about how he investigated the Instagram ad to investment scam pipeline. Inside the Underground Site Where ‘Neural Networks’ Churn Out Fake IDs ‘Neural Network’ Fake ID Site Goes Dark After 404 Media Investigation AI-Generated Grandma Porn Is Flooding the Internet ‘DignifAI:’ 4chan Is Editing Pictures to Clothe Women Fake Bill Ackman and Jim Cramer Instagram Ads are Trying to Take My Money Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(I went in and fixed the audio issue! Please make sure your podcast client has the latest version downloaded. Okay, back to working on an investigation now, thank you for bearing with us) This week's episode is a banger. First, we go long with Sam and Emanuel, the two journalists who have followed deepfakes and generative AI more closely than anyone. Their latest piece talks about what is going to happen next: a clampdown in the AI and social media industries that may be an overcorrection, with impacts for everyone. Keeping with AI, Emanuel then explains how the founder of the extremism group The Base told his followers to use uncensored AI. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph talks about how an Iranian linked drug trafficker hired a member of the Hells Angel to carry out a hit on U.S. soil. Yes, that's the sentence. The Taylor Swift Deepfakes Disaster Threatens to Change the Internet As We Know It Founder of Neo-Nazi Group the Base Instructs Followers to Use 'Uncensored' AI Encrypted Phone ‘Sky’ Linked to Murder-for-Hire Plot in Maryland Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're doing something a little different this episode. For the whole free section of the podcast, we're talking all about the degradation of Google. That includes AI-generated articles making their way onto Google News, and how researchers found that, yes, Google search really is getting worse. This is a long, rich, and fun discussion. Then in the subscribers-only section, Joseph breaks down his latest investigation into a phone spying capability that is monitoring billions. Google (to their credit) cut-off a linked company in response to our inquiries.  Google News Is Boosting Garbage AI-Generated Articles Google Search Really Has Gotten Worse, Researchers Find Inside a Global Phone Spy Tool Monitoring Billions Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, that was a pleasant surprise: Google has formally endorsed right to repair! Jason not only broke this news but then had a long conversation with Google about why it made the change (spoiler: it was the concerted effort of consumers, activists, and journalists). Jason explains why this change matters in the first part of the show. After the break, Sam takes us through a pretty unusual court case and what it means for online dating. Then in the subscribers-only section, Joseph talks about a new map we just published showing which local police departments and public agencies have invested in the AI surveillance platform Fusus. Is your police department one of them? Take a look. Google Formally Endorses Right to Repair, Will Lobby to Pass Repair Laws YouTube Commenters and the Grassroots Movement Pushed Google to Support Right to Repair Man Sues 27 Women After Facebook Users Call Him ‘Clingy’ and ‘Psycho’ Is Your Local Police Department Using Fusus AI-Enabled Cameras? Find Out Here Subscribe at 404media.co for access to the bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason decided to publish our first story minutes before recording, so here is some hot off the presses material. That piece was about scam ads on YouTube involving deepfaked celebrities. After the break, Sam discussed a very bizarre FOIA response from Texas. Then in the subscribers-only section, Jason tells the long and very entertaining saga of the Polish hackers who fixed a bunch of trains, and faced legal threats in response. Deepfaked Celebrity Ads Promoting Medicare Scams Run Rampant on YouTube Texas Health Department Claims It Has Nothing to Do With Warnings on Porn From Texas Health Department Polish Hackers Say Manufacturer's Repair DRM Killed Train's Power, Broke Compressor Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are back for 2024! We hit the ground running this week with a story about charges against a man for allegedly orchestrating a massive, nationwide Airbnb scam. Then Sam speaks about how Pornhub is blocking access to visitors in North Carolina and Montana, who are now (predictably) using VPNs as a workaround. Then in the subscribers-only section we talk about the life and death of the encrypted app Wickr. RIP Wickr. Real Estate ‘Visionary’ Allegedly Behind Massive, Viral Airbnb Fraud Charge I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on Airbnb North Carolina and Montana Just Lost Access to Pornhub Wickr is Dead Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's show, we start with a couple of articles about how companies might *actually* be listening to conversations through smart device microphones to target ads. Plenty of questions remain, but we discuss everything we know so far. After the break, Sam explains a new Stanford study which has resulted in one of AI's most important datasets being taken offline (check the article itself for a clarification on Google's connection to the story which we learned after recording). In the subscribers-only section, Jason tells us how he dug into the wave of stolen, AI-generated art all over Facebook. Marketing Company Claims That It Actually Is Listening to Your Phone and Smart Speakers to Target Ads Company Brags About Using Smart Device Microphone Audio to Target Ads on Their Podcast Largest Dataset Powering AI Images Removed After Discovery of Child Sexual Abuse Material Facebook Is Being Overrun With Stolen, AI-Generated Images That People Think Are Real Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A really bizarre mystery this week. We broke the news that a man somehow flew into LAX without a ticket or passport and DHS is totally stumped. Who knows how he got there? No one, apparently. Then Sam breaks down the latest Patreon ban hammer against a misunderstood community. In the subscriber's only section, Joseph explains a massive mistake by Verizon potentially put a person's physical safety at risk, and what this means for why he doesn't use a phone. Civitai and OctoML Introduce Radical New Measures to Stop Abuse After 404 Media Investigation No Record of 'Russian Economist' Who Flew to LAX Without a Ticket, Didn't Remember How He Got Here ‘The Community Is Scrambling:’ Patreon Banned a Ton of 'Adult Baby/Diaper Lover' Furries Verizon Gave Phone Data to Armed Stalker Who Posed as Cop Over Email Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A content warning for the free section of this episode. Emanuel explains a massive investigation of his into how Civitai, the a16z funded AI platform, generated images that “could be categorized as child pornography,” according to internal Slack chats and more. This is a difficult, complicated, but important story. I'll leave it at that. Then in the subscriber's only section, we talk about Jason's investigation into pickleball turf wars. Remember to check out the video archive of our recent FOIA Forum too for more info on how Jason got thousands of documents for this story. a16z Funded AI Platform Generated Images That “Could Be Categorized as Child Pornography,” Leaked Documents Show 'FYI Pickleball DRAMA': Local Governments Overwhelmed By Tennis-Pickleball Turf Wars, Documents Show Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So much drama this episode but with an important message behind it all. For the first half, Sam and Jason break down their stories about Eduards Sizovs, a tech conference founder who listed a fake, "auto-generated" woman as a conference speaker. Sizovs is also behind a highly popular woman-in-tech account. There are layers here.  After the break, Jason explains how Plex is leaking users' viewing habits to one another. Then in the subscribers-only section, Joseph runs us through how an established figure in the sneaker world is connected to a Chinese money laundering ring. Tech Conference Collapses After Organizer Admits to Making Fake ‘Auto-Generated’ Female Speaker Male Tech Conference Founder Is Behind Popular Woman Coding Influencer Account Plex Users Fear New Feature Will Leak Porn Habits to Their Friends and Family Sneakers and Armored Cars: How a Shoe Company Empire Allegedly Used a Chinese Money Laundering Ring Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well that was a lot of drama in the world of OpenAI. Fear not, we have a unique angle on how the person in the running to be OpenAI's new CEO was a character in a Harry Potter fanfic that was written deliberately as a recruiting tool to the effective altruist movement. That's definitely a sentence. After the break Sam talks about how Twitter is pushing sex workers into a black hole, then in the subscribers-only section Joseph explains how he found that SIM swappers are gambling stolen Bitcoin at online casinos. New OpenAI CEO Was a Character in a Harry Potter Fanfic That's Wildly Popular With Effective Altruists Elon Musk Is Making His Advertising Crisis a Problem for Sex Workers Hackers Use Online Casinos to Gamble Mountains of Cash They Steal from Victims Subscribe at 404media.co for this podcast's bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recorded this immediately after publishing some breaking news: we discovered that venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is funding Civitai, an AI marketplace we've repeatedly shown is an engine for nonconsensual AI porn. Just this week Emanuel reported Civitai had introduced a "bounty" system, that financially rewards people for making AI-models of specific targets. We talk about both stories in the first section of the podcast. Then after the break of this episode of "The Emanuel Maiberg Show," Emanuel talks about his deep investigation into working conditions in Labcorp, one of the biggest lab companies in the country, and how Amazon-like metrics may put patients at risk. Then in the subscribers-only section, Emanuel and Jason discuss their article on how the "brand safety" industry is stopping news websites from receiving vital funding. Giant AI Platform Introduces ‘Bounties’ for Deepfakes of Real People Andreessen Horowitz Invests in Civitai, Which Profits From Nonconsensual AI Porn ‘Literally Impossible:’ Labcorp Workers Say Productivity Goals Are Pushing Them to the Brink Advertisers Don’t Want Sites Like Jezebel to Exist Subscribe at 404media.co for this podcast's bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week goes in all sorts of directions. First, Joseph runs through his in-depth article on Fusus, a surveillance company that took over one small American town with AI-powered cameras. Now, they're everywhere, both in the U.S. and increasingly abroad. After the break, Sam tells us how attendees of an NFT conference got more than they bargained for, and ended up getting (temporarily) blinded (literally). In the subscribers-only section, Joseph and Jason discuss their just published piece about a refund fraud group that scammed $700,000 out of Amazon, and how these scams may impact delivery drivers on the ground. AI Cameras Took Over One Small American Town. Now They're Everywhere 'Couldn't See Anymore:' Bored Ape Conference Attendees Wake Up With Searing Eye Pain, Vision Loss How a 'Refund Fraud' Gang Stole $700,000 From Amazon Subscribe at 404media.co for this podcast's bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're shaking things up with a new format! As well as the two stories available to all listeners, we have a third discussion at the end which is only for paying subscribers. We explain why at the top of the show. As for this week's articles, first Emanuel explains how YouTube is making money off a livestream of an open air drug market. After the break, Jason and Emanuel discuss their two stories about Israel-Palestine and the lack of archiving efforts and freedom of information. In the subscriber's only section, Joseph breaks down a wild new marriage in cybercrime: English-speaking SIM swappers and Eastern European ransomware operators. YouTube Is Monetizing Human Suffering at an Open Air Drug Market Elon Musk Broke All the Tools Historians Need to Archive Tweets About Israel-Gaza War Netanyahu’s Government Is Trying to Suspend the Freedom of Information SIM Swappers Are Working Directly with Ransomware Gangs Now Subscribe at 404media.co for this podcast's bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first half of the show, we talk about a couple of stories around the Israel-Palestine conflict. First, Instagram "sincerely apologizes" to Sam for its auto-translations which added the word "terrorist" to sentences containing the word "Palestinian." Then, Joseph and Emanuel talk about their article about how verified Twitter accounts have taken the term "OSINT" and used it to spread their own garbage information. After the break, Joseph takes us through another story of his: a fascinating court record pulls back the curtain on a $30 million cash-for-Bitcoin ring that was operating right under everyone's noses in the heart of New York. Instagram ‘Sincerely Apologizes’ For Inserting ‘Terrorist’ Into Palestinian Bio Translations ‘Verified’ OSINT Accounts Are Destroying the Israel-Palestine Information Ecosystem Inside a $30 Million Cash-for-Bitcoin Laundering Ring in the Heart of New York 404 Media is primarily funded by paying subscribers. We are a journalist-owned company and need your support. Please subscribe at 404media.co to directly power our work and get an ad-free version of this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Content warning for the first half of the episode because it touches on violent themes. Emanuel takes us through how so-called AI detectors are, instead of clearing up the fog of misinformation around the Israel-Palestine conflict, may actually be making everything much worse. A crucial story for these ongoing events. Then after the break, we change gears and Jason explains a trademark dispute in the film photography community. Spoiler: everyone is mad. AI Images Detectors Are Being Used to Discredit the Real Horrors of War A Trademark Dispute Is Tearing the Tiny Film Photography Community Apart Demand for Travis Scott Creates Liquidity Crisis in Ticket Reselling Economy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a fun one. First, Sam takes us through her story about generating images of SpongeBob and 9/11 with Bing's AI. Why? Because a bunch of people found a way to create similar images even though they shouldn't be possible under Microsoft's own policies. After the break, we turn into an economics podcast. Jason breaks down what exactly happened when a bunch of credit card maxers (people who try to gather as many credit card points as possible) over saturated the market for Travis Scott tickets. A fascinating, and hilarious, crisis emerged. Bing Is Generating Images of SpongeBob Doing 9/11 Low Demand for Travis Scott Creates Liquidity Crisis in Ticket Reselling Economy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with a super interesting set of stories about how a small community has found a glitch in YouTube. It lets the group upload basically anything it wants to the platform with little fear of the clip being deleted. That includes explicit videos which were on YouTube for weeks at a time. Emanuel spoke to those responsible. After the break, Jason explains how he got emails showing that the LAPD wants a "partnership" with food delivery robots. The reason? These robots are constantly recording their surroundings. I Joined an Exclusive Club of YouTube Porn Hunters People Are Using a Glitch to Upload Porn to YouTube and YouTube Can’t Delete It Food Delivery Robots Are Feeding Camera Footage to the LAPD, Internal Emails Show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holy moly that's a big ol' episode. Jason is back and tells us how ticket scalping actually works on a technical level, and how Ticketmaster benefits from scalping. Sam then explains how AI chatbots with no limits are letting people explore their sexuality safely (please note a content warning for that one for discussions on sexual themes and violence).  After the break, Joseph talks about a TikTok account that may be the next evolution in clout-chasing: an account that uses facial recognition tech to dox random people on the internet. Why Scalpers Can Get Olivia Rodrigo Tickets and You Can't DIY Chatbots Unleash Large Language Models’ Repressed Sexuality The End of Privacy is a Taylor Swift Fan TikTok Account Armed with Facial Recognition Tech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode you won't hear Jason because he is out on location reporting from a right to repair conference in New Orleans! Before that, he was in Las Vegas reporting on the ongoing ransomware crisis impacting MGM casinos. But you will hear Joseph, Sam, and Emanuel discuss a tool that ICE has purchased which gives it access to data from a pregnancy tracking website. Then after the break, we talk about the latest update to an ongoing sex trafficking case Sam has been following for years, and Emanuel talks about why game developers he spoke to are up in arms about recent changes to the game engine Unity. iFixit Drastically and Retroactively Reduces ‘Repairability Score’ of the Current iPhone I Gambled in MGM's Hacked Casinos Inside ShadowDragon, The Tool That Lets ICE Monitor Pregnancy Tracking Sites and Fortnite Players Original ‘Girls Do Porn’ Actor and Owner of MomPOV.com Arrested on Felony Charges Girls Do Porn Actor and MomPOV.com Owner Indicted on Sex Trafficking Charges “This Is a Disaster:” Game Developers Scramble to Deal With Unity’s New Fees Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode Joseph, Jason, Emanuel and Sam first talk about something that sounds like a Harry Styles story, but it's actually an artificial intelligence one. We also play a few rounds of “Is That Audio Snippet an AI Generated Version of Harry Styles or Is It a Real Section of a Leaked Harry Styles Song?” After the break, Joseph runs us through a massive secret he revealed: the so-called “third country” that intercepted tens of millions of encrypted messages on behalf of the FBI. The Specter of AI-Generated 'Leaked Songs' Is Tearing the Harry Styles Fandom Apart Revealed: The Country that Secretly Wiretapped the World for the FBI For an ad-free version of this podcast and to access bonus episodes, become a subscriber at 404media.co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode Joseph, Jason, Emanuel and Sam first talk about how Amazon is selling mushroom foraging books that appear to be AI-generated. Not great when foraging can be a matter of life or death. After the break, Joseph explains how he tracked someone through the New York subway using a privacy-leaking feature on an MTA website. ‘Life or Death:’ AI-Generated Mushroom Foraging Books Are All Over Amazon I Tracked an NYC Subway Rider's Movements with an MTA ‘Feature’ NYC Subway Will Disable ‘Feature’ That Leaked Trip History After 404 Media Investigation For an ad-free version of this podcast and to access bonus episodes, become a subscriber at 404media.co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode Joseph, Jason, Emanuel and Sam first talk about how Instagram is profiting from a vast network of adverts for crime. Instagram even throttled our reach on the platform while continuing to rake in cash from these ads! After the break, we move onto two AI-related stories from Emanuel and Sam. Stuff gets weird. There is a content warning at the top of the show, but we're repeating it in the show notes for this section. Most of My Instagram Ads Are for Drugs, Stolen Credit Cards, Hacked Accounts, Counterfeit Money, and Weapons Instagram Throttles 404 Media Investigation Into Drug Ads on Instagram, Continues to Let People Advertise Drugs Inside the AI Porn Marketplace Where Everything and Everyone Is for Sale The Community Pushing AI-Generated Porn to ‘the Edge of Knowledge’ For an ad-free version of this podcast and to access bonus episodes, become a subscriber at 404media.co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to 404 Media! On this special introductory episode, 404 Media co-founders Joseph Cox, Sam Cole, Emanuel Maiberg, and Jason Koebler explain what's in store for this new, journalist-founded media outlet.  After the break, Joseph and Jason break down how violent criminals have managed to gain access to a supply chain of data that lets them dox nearly anyone in America. Most of the country likely has no idea their data is collected and sold this way, and certainly don't know that criminals now have access too. Subscribe to 404 Media at 404media.co to gain access to an ad-free version of this podcast, as well as bonus podcast content. Subscribers are the bedrock of building a sustainable business for our journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices