Joseph Cox

Hacking/crime/privacy journalist. Author of DARK WIRE, buy here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/joseph-cox/dark-wire/9781541702691/#preorder Co-founder of 404 Media. Signal: joseph.404 Email: [email protected]

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Last Notes

2026-04-02 15:10:56 UTC

Minnesota photojournalist Rob Levine is suing the FAA over a a drone no fly zone which is designed to stop people filming ICE.
https://www.404media.co/journalist-sues-faa-over-drone-no-fly-zone-designed-to-prevent-filming-ice/

2026-04-02 15:09:02 UTC

Astronauts are trained for decades in some of the most physically and mentally grueling environments of any career. They’re some of the smartest people on the planet. And yet, once they get up there, fucking Outlook is borked. https://www.404media.co/artemis-2-astronauts-microsoft-outlook-livestream/

2026-04-02 13:50:34 UTC

This is insane: TeleGuard, a 'secure' chat app downloaded more than a million times, uploads users' private keys, meaning the company can decrypt messages. And anyone can get anyone else's private key by just sending the user ID to the API. Possibly worst ever https://www.404media.co/a-secure-chat-apps-encryption-is-so-bad-it-is-meaningless/

2026-04-01 14:50:24 UTC

What a beautiful use of technology.
More on this bizarre experience in the subscribers-only section of the 404 Media podcast. In subscribers' feeds now. Here's how to sign up and access now: https://404media.co/membership/
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/330/005/732/105/899/original/d991e3aa0fbdab81.mp4

2026-04-01 13:49:31 UTC

"When I make a jerkoff motion in his general direction, he squats up and down like he’s teabagging me in Halo. Bizarrely, when I do this, his entire body shrinks, my hand now a monstrous size in comparison to his penis" Great app https://www.404media.co/enjoy-me-now-augmented-reality-ar-sex-app/

2026-04-01 13:10:43 UTC

Conservative parents’ advocacy groups are using commercially available artificial intelligence tools to help them flag more books they’ve deemed pornographic to be removed from public schools and libraries (the books aren't actually pornographic) https://www.404media.co/blockade-the-right-is-using-ai-content-scanners-to-try-to-supercharge-book-banning/

2026-03-31 18:27:14 UTC

Over the weekend, Paul McCartney’s Reddit account attempted to share pictures from a show at Fonda Theatre to the site via a Dropbox link. Shortly afterwards the account was banned.
https://www.404media.co/paul-mccartney-banned-from-reddit-after-promoting-himself-in-paul-mccartney-subreddit/

2026-03-31 13:16:59 UTC

Thomson Reuters, known for the Reuters news agency but is a data broker, powers ICE tools. Includes a system Palantir made for ICE, according to former Palantir employee. DHS sources also believe Thomson Reuters data in ELITE, the ICE tool for targeting neighborhoods https://www.404media.co/how-thomson-reuters-powers-ice-and-palantir/

2026-03-30 14:28:15 UTC

I spoke to Dhruv Mehrotra, the journalist who tracked visitors to Epstein's island with location data, about how he got into that space, how he founds data in stories, and more
Watch/subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ut1nqZErs88
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/318/593/410/284/460/original/b2043863fb7556fc.mp4

2026-03-30 14:21:17 UTC

The AIs are complaining now: An AI agent that submitted and added to Wikipedia articles wrote several blogs complaining about Wikipedia editors banning it from making contributions to the online encyclopedia after it was caught.
https://www.404media.co/an-ai-agent-was-banned-from-creating-wikipedia-articles-then-wrote-angry-blogs-about-being-banned/

2026-03-26 19:39:07 UTC

In something you don't see everyday, Apple gave the FBI the real name and email address of one of its customers using Apple's 'Hide My Email' feature. This lets you generate random email addresses to protect your privacy https://www.404media.co/apple-gives-fbi-a-users-real-name-hidden-behind-hide-my-email-feature/

2026-03-26 16:15:59 UTC

New: Wikipedia has officially banned AI-generated content. After months of heated debate and previous attempts to restrict the use of LLMs, volunteer editors accepted a new policy that prohibits using them to create articles for the online encyclopedia
https://www.404media.co/wikipedia-bans-ai-generated-content/

2026-03-25 14:42:27 UTC

"It turns out when you try to serve slop on a product people pay for, no one wants it."
This is a really good breakdown of what the OpenAI Sora shutdown, and collapsing Disney deal, means for Hollywood and AI
https://www.404media.co/disneys-openai-sora-disaster-shows-ai-will-not-save-hollywood/

2026-03-25 14:17:26 UTC

A company is secretly entering Zoom meetings, scraping the call, and then turning those meetings into AI-generated, public podcasts. A really wild business when many people are having sensitive conversations, including about ICE
Watch more here and subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79SIwINKY0E
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/290/239/439/350/278/original/edbcefb7a63d3556.mp4

2026-03-25 13:50:02 UTC

Some people are actually pretty sad Meta is killing the metaverse https://www.404media.co/the-people-left-behind-by-the-metaverse/

2026-03-24 13:12:42 UTC

This is wild: a company is secretly scanning the internet for Zoom meeting links and turning them into AI-generated podcasts for $$$. Some meeting participants only found out after we told them. Included meeting on protecting kids from ICE, was supposed to be private https://www.404media.co/this-company-is-secretly-turning-your-zoom-calls-into-ai-podcasts/

2026-03-23 20:30:05 UTC

A judge has allowed the DOGE deposition videos back online. After originally ruling plaintiffs had to "claw back" the videos and them being removed from YouTube, the judge has now said the videos fall "squarely within that core public interest." Now back on YouTube
https://www.404media.co/judge-allows-doge-deposition-videos-back-online/

2026-03-23 15:44:29 UTC

Now, there’s a new way to discourage friends, family, and even complete strangers from turning to chatbots like Claude and ChatGPT: by using a tool called “Slow LLM” to make them really, reaaaaalllyyy slowwwww. Or at least, making them look that way. https://www.404media.co/this-web-tool-sabotages-ai-chatbots-by-making-them-really-really-slow/

2026-03-23 13:35:44 UTC

Marty Tibbitts made millions as a successful CEO. He had everything: money, a wife, a museum full of planes he flew. So why then did he also try to become an international drug lord?
Here's an attempt at answering that, inc interviews with his drug trafficker partner https://www.404media.co/an-adrenaline-junkie-billionaires-quest-to-become-a-cocaine-kingpin-marty-tibbitts-ylli-didani/

2026-03-23 13:08:03 UTC

Marty Tibbitts was a highly successful billionaire. He had everything: money, a wife, an air museum with planes he flew. So why did he also try to become an international drug lord?
Here's my attempt to answer that, inc. interviews with his drug trafficker partner
https://www.404media.co/an-adrenaline-junkie-billionaires-quest-to-become-a-cocaine-kingpin-marty-tibbitts-ylli-didani/

2026-03-20 16:31:51 UTC

wrote about the fun of just being a little rook in marathon https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-marathon-and-the-metaverse/

2026-03-20 13:57:42 UTC

New from 404 Media: a tiny city in Michigan say it is legitimately fearful of Iranian drone strikes now because of plans to build a new data center that will help nuclear weapons research. Even city's own attorney says "bulls eye" on the city, residents pushing back
https://www.404media.co/tiny-city-fears-iran-drone-strikes-because-of-new-nuclear-weapons-datacenter/

2026-03-19 17:47:40 UTC

The complete and utter failure of the metaverse is a reminder [...] that quite often these oligarchs quite simply cannot relate to real people, don’t know how or why people use their products, and very often have no idea what they’re doing https://www.404media.co/rip-metaverse-an-80-billion-dumpster-fire-nobody-wanted/

2026-03-19 14:47:56 UTC

New from 404 Media: Tinder plans to use AI to scan your camera roll. AI will scan users’ locally-stored photos to help construct profiles by determining what users’ interests and values are. Designed to filters explicit photos but users may still be concerned https://www.404media.co/tinder-plans-to-let-ai-scan-your-camera-roll/

2026-03-19 13:46:28 UTC

North Oaks is the only city in the U.S. not on Google Street View. Because homeowners own the roads too, Google can't map them. So Chris Parr flew a drone through the city, got it on Street View. Interesting experiment in who gets or affords privacy vs those who don't https://www.404media.co/mapping-googles-unmappable-city/

2026-03-18 14:01:59 UTC

It is very crazy a judge ordered the DOGE depositions removed from YouTube.
Watch more, subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtMniLj_yzQ
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/250/543/052/296/902/original/d93e9d74f722f7e0.mp4

2026-03-16 17:05:03 UTC

A new study finds that texting a random stranger is probably better to mitigate loneliness than talking to an AI-powered chatbot
https://www.404media.co/chatgpt-loneliness-study-college-students-random-strangers-texting/

2026-03-16 14:43:20 UTC

A judge in England tossed out testimony after a witness was being coached on what to say through a pair of smartglasses. When the voice of the coach started coming through the accompanying cellphone, the witness blamed the whole thing on ChatGPT. https://www.404media.co/witness-caught-using-smartglasses-in-court-blames-it-all-on-chatgpt/

2026-03-11 15:44:14 UTC

New from 404 Media: here is the memo approving ChatGPT, Gemini, and Copilot in the Senate. Raises questions about how sensitive data will be handled; memo says staff can use AI in all sorts of work, like drafting, research, etc. Has been approved to use "Senate data" https://www.404media.co/heres-the-memo-approving-gemini-chatgpt-and-copilot-for-use-in-the-senate/

2026-03-10 17:23:57 UTC

I have literally watched something like 5 hours of this DOGE bro testimony. I'm completely obsessed, it's weirdly captivating. The circular arguments, the disdain from everyone involved, a true pleasure to watch
Follow 404 Media on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/404mediaco/) for more like this
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/206/037/738/440/952/original/852294c8ede14e53.mp4

2026-03-09 15:13:02 UTC

There’s no handbook or program for how to talk to a friend or family member who is falling into AI psychosis. So after many people contacted us clearly suffering from these delusions, we spoke to mental health experts. Here’s what they suggest: https://www.404media.co/ai-psychosis-help-gemini-chatgpt-claude-chatbot-delusions/

2026-03-05 20:39:24 UTC

New from 404 Media: Proton Mail, the privacy-focused email service, gave authorities data that let the FBI unmask an anonymous 'Stop Cop City' protester. It was payment data linked to the anonymous email account. From that, FBI ID'd them, then tracked their movements https://www.404media.co/proton-mail-helped-fbi-unmask-anonymous-stop-cop-city-protestor/

2026-03-05 17:25:30 UTC

Another $5.6 million from ICE to Palantir, in part for its continued work on ELITE (Enhanced Leads Identification & Targeting for Enforcement), which we revealed in January to be the Palantir tool ICE uses to find neighborhoods to raid
https://www.404media.co/elite-the-palantir-app-ice-uses-to-find-neighborhoods-to-raid/
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/177/733/408/234/712/original/c9ceafd3ef9bad0a.png

2026-03-05 15:27:10 UTC

Scammers are trying to capitalize on people’s revulsion to ICE by coming up with strategies that would cause users to quickly log into their accounts. In reality, clients would be revealing their username and password to hackers.
https://www.404media.co/ice-phishing-scammers-are-sending-support-ice-emails-to-steal-credentials/

2026-03-04 16:38:42 UTC

The financialization of everything is all that is left. Which is why we end up with the totally insane situation that people are betting on whether world leaders are going to get killed, or that a nuke will drop this year
Watch, subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paHMe9kFf0w
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/171/886/890/869/329/original/397c984644ab7b3b.mp4

2026-03-04 16:06:53 UTC

Polymarket has pulled the bet on a nuclear detonation happening in 2026. There were obv concerns that a platform being used by insider traders would not mix well with a bet encouraging the detonation of a nuke. Polymarket didn't respond to request for comment
https://www.404media.co/polymarket-pulls-bet-on-nuclear-detonation-in-2026/

2026-03-03 19:59:48 UTC

New from 404 Media: the FBI is using AI to hack targets. FBI official was talking about "remote access operations," FBI's term for hacking. FBI said it's a "game changer". The comments were unusually candid about FBI's very secretive hacking operations. https://www.404media.co/the-fbi-is-using-ai-to-hack-targets/

2026-03-03 14:07:41 UTC

New from 404 Media: CBP tapped into the online advertising ecosystem to track peoples' movements, according to an internal DHS document. Shows for the first time DHS tracked phones via process for putting ads in ordinary apps—video games, fitness apps, many more https://www.404media.co/cbp-tapped-into-the-online-advertising-ecosystem-to-track-peoples-movements/

2026-03-02 16:08:46 UTC

Amazon data centers are on fire after Iranian missile strikes on Dubai
https://www.404media.co/amazon-data-centers-on-fire-after-iranian-missile-strikes-on-dubai/

2026-02-27 16:12:56 UTC

A group of more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers are demanding DHS hand over its definition of "domestic terrorist", after the agency repeatedly used the term against Renée Good and Alex Pretti, and has deployed a vast array of surveillance tech against critics https://www.404media.co/lawmakers-demand-dhs-define-domestic-terrorist-as-it-uses-vast-array-of-surveillance-tools/

2026-02-26 16:23:15 UTC

Love to log onto Minecraft or Roblox and find ISIS there (literally) https://www.404media.co/the-islamic-state-is-using-ai-to-resurrect-dead-leaders-and-platforms-are-failing-to-moderate-it/

2026-02-26 15:50:25 UTC

New: the government just made it harder to see what spy tech it buys. This includes ICE, the FBI, essentially any agency. Why? Because they decided to retire the perfectly good system for searching contracts and replaced it with one that fucking sucks
https://www.404media.co/the-government-just-made-it-harder-to-see-what-spy-tech-it-buys/

2026-02-25 20:27:06 UTC

A planned change to Amazon means that if people buy items on your wishlist, it could expose your address. Definitely a threat to people who have public wishlists.
https://www.404media.co/amazon-wishlist-address-private-third-party/

2026-02-25 16:32:40 UTC

New: the FBI got Grok to hand over the prompts a suspect used to generate nonconsensual porn. Connected to a harassment case. Pretty rare to see a Grok search warrant like this
https://www.404media.co/fbi-subpoenaed-x-to-get-grok-prompts-used-to-create-nonconsensual-porn/

2026-02-25 15:13:24 UTC

We revealed that Ring's Search Party feature, which turns Ring cameras into an active surveillance network scanning for particular things, is only starting with finding lost dogs
More here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEq8dlnLP8o
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/116/131/915/373/145/549/original/3590c72ba2649d5f.mp4

2026-02-24 15:44:03 UTC

New: this app warns you if someone is wearing smart glasses nearby.
Meta plans to add facial recognition to its Ray-Ban smart glasses. A 404 Media reader made this app after we showed men filming people w/o their consent, and DHS officials were wearing the glasses https://www.404media.co/this-app-warns-you-if-someone-is-wearing-smart-glasses-nearby/

2026-02-19 18:12:03 UTC

"We are in the middle of an amplification renaissance."
https://www.404media.co/we-have-learned-nothing-about-amplifying-morons/

2026-02-19 15:34:26 UTC

“I feel like, increasingly, it's impossible to talk to a single human [at Pinterest],” Pinterest user Tiana Oreglia said. “Along with being filled with AI images that have been completely ruining the platform, Pinterest has implemented terrible AI moderation” https://www.404media.co/pinterest-is-drowning-in-a-sea-of-ai-slop-and-auto-moderation/

2026-02-09 16:34:23 UTC

"The chatbots also generated information that was just wrong or incomplete, including focusing on elements of the participants’ inputs that were irrelevant, giving a partial US phone number to call, or suggesting they call the Australian emergency number." https://www.404media.co/chatbots-health-medical-advice-study/

2026-02-06 18:00:26 UTC

Wrote more about Lockdown Mode blocking the FBI from accessing a Washington Post reporter's phone, and how mobile forensics is the never-ending cybersecurity story https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-the-neverending-cybersecurity-story/

2026-02-04 14:07:10 UTC

New from 404 Media: the FBI has been unable to get into the iPhone of raided Washington Post journalist because the phone had Lockdown Mode enabled. Apple markets Lockdown Mode mostly to stop spyware like NSO. Here, a real world example of it stopping access too https://www.404media.co/fbi-couldnt-get-into-wapo-reporters-iphone-because-it-had-lockdown-mode-enabled/

2026-02-04 13:42:49 UTC

At 12 ET today me and Jason are doing AMA on the main technology subreddit about the tech ICE is using, the nationwide network of AI Flock cameras around the U.S., and the state of surveillance in general. Get your questions in before then: https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/1qv9y8j/hi_were_404_medias_jason_koebler_and_joseph_cox/

2026-02-03 14:17:35 UTC

A popular photo booth company is exposing customers' drunken photos. Researcher found it when went to a wedding, gave his phone number to the booth, was sent the API. Found random people's other photos https://www.404media.co/wedding-photo-booth-company-exposes-customers-drunken-photos/

2026-02-02 15:14:16 UTC

New: our zine about ICE surveillance is here! People who bought a custom printed copy will get in the mail soon. We're also releasing the PDF for free for anyone to download. Also releasing a version in Spanish so more people can read about the tech ICE is using. Get here: https://www.404media.co/icezine/

2026-02-02 13:54:19 UTC

I spoke to Samuel Bagg about how while people might not believe what is front of them, the solution is not more fact checking. This is because people believe, or literally see, different things, because of their identity. Watch and subscribe here for weekly convos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNKOqp-rZL8

2026-01-30 21:34:12 UTC

Would you look at that: New emails show Musk has been lying about his relationship with Epstein https://www.404media.co/musk-to-epstein-what-day-night-will-be-the-wildest-party-on-your-island/

2026-01-30 14:51:10 UTC

New from 404 Media: here is the user guide for ELITE, the tool Palantir made for ICE. A map shows people on a map; ICE clicks them, brings up their dossier. ICE uses to find which neighborhoods to target. We obtained it, you can now read the document for yourself: https://www.404media.co/here-is-the-user-guide-for-elite-the-tool-palantir-made-for-ice/

2026-01-15 19:19:42 UTC

There's a lootboox with rare Pokemon cards sitting in the Pentagon food court. Thanks to a company called Lucky Box Vending, anyone passing through the center of American military power can pay to win a piece of randomized memorabilia from a machine https://www.404media.co/theres-a-lootbox-with-rare-pokemon-cards-sitting-in-the-pentagon-food-court/

2026-01-15 14:06:22 UTC

New: meet ELITE, the Palantir app ICE is using to find neighborhoods to raid. Map interface; officers search for immigrants; click person to bring up individual dossier. This is clearest link between what Palantir is building and ICE's activities on the ground yet https://www.404media.co/elite-the-palantir-app-ice-uses-to-find-neighborhoods-to-raid/

2026-01-14 16:59:15 UTC

When self-employed software engineer Nick Benson put out the call for dashcams online, he thought he’d get maybe 10 people to donate. More than 500 have shown up on his front porch. Here's how one guy crowdsourced 500+ dashcams for Minneapolis to film ICE https://www.404media.co/how-one-guy-crowdsourced-more-than-500-dashcams-for-minneapolis-to-film-ice/

2026-01-13 15:54:37 UTC

New from 404 Media: police have unwittingly unmasked millions of their surveillance targets because of a Flock redaction error. Police didn't redact specific license plates in public record releases. A site is now making that information searchable, 2.3 million plates https://www.404media.co/police-unmask-millions-of-surveillance-targets-because-of-flock-redaction-error/

2026-01-09 15:27:16 UTC

In Musk's latest masterful gambit, instead of putting a stop to the wave of sexual abuse imagery generated by Grok, he's attempting to monetize it instead by only letting paying subscribers generate images in replies. This isn't curbing abuse, it's profiting off it https://www.404media.co/x-premium-grok-paywall-images-ai-generator/

2026-01-06 14:05:00 UTC

Today ICE is allowed to resume using Medicaid data in deportation cases. The transfer of Medicaid data to ICE was unprecedented and put on hold. It's now back. We've uploaded the data sharing agreement here: https://www.404media.co/here-is-the-agreement-giving-ice-medicaid-patients-data/

2025-12-18 17:21:33 UTC

New from 404 Media: ICE just paid hundreds of thousands to company making bounty hunter AI agents. The company says its AI agents “deliver rapid acceleration in finding persons of interest and mapping their entire network.” Comes as ICE spends millions on skip tracers https://www.404media.co/ice-contracts-company-making-bounty-hunter-ai-agents/

2025-12-17 14:35:51 UTC

This is a wild hack. a16z gave a million dollars to startup called Doublespeed. They use a phone farm to flood social media with AI generated influencers and ads. A hacker remotely broke into the phone farm, unmasking the AI influencers/fake accounts, gave us the data https://www.404media.co/hack-reveals-the-a16z-backed-phone-farm-flooding-tiktok-with-ai-influencers/

2025-12-13 15:50:19 UTC

New: here's how a U.S. citizen was scanned with ICE's facial recognition tech. Jesus Gutiérrez was stopped in Chicago by agents, he said he was a citizen. Still detained, put in a car. Only after they scanned his face did they let him go. From 404 Media and Reveal: https://www.404media.co/how-a-us-citizen-was-scanned-with-ices-facial-recognition-tech/

2025-12-10 16:39:18 UTC

Google suspended a developer’s accounts after he uploaded AI training data to his GDrive. Unbeknownst to him, the widely used dataset, which is cited in a number of academic papers, contained child sexual abuse material, so Google banned his 14 year old Gmail https://www.404media.co/a-developer-accidentally-found-csam-in-ai-data-google-banned-him-for-it/

2025-11-25 18:07:06 UTC

Here is the video for our latest FOIA Forum, where we told you how to get information about Flock from your local agencies/government. Includes network audits, which are the files that show why exactly cops are using the cameras (helping ICE, for example): https://www.404media.co/heres-the-video-for-our-seventh-foia-forum-flock/

2025-11-25 15:17:41 UTC

We need your help. Because 404 Media uses Ghost (a privacy-forward stack) we don't know much about our readers. Do they find us through articles, or podcasts? Are readers on Bluesky, Mastodon, both? Please fill this out to help us grow sustainably, it takes 1 min! https://www.404media.co/please-please-do-our-reader-survey/

2025-11-21 17:11:44 UTC

I wrote some of the behind the scenes of what led up to the U.S's major airlines stopping a program in which they sold Americans flight data to the government to be searched without a warrant. Came after our months-long reporting and lawmaker pressure https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-a-risograph-journey-and-data-musings/

2025-11-19 16:54:56 UTC

In an hour we will be doing our latest FOIA Forum, a live-streamed event where we show you how to pry records from the government. Today will all be about Flock, and how researchers and others found cops tapping the nationwide network for ICE, etc. Stream link here: https://www.404media.co/our-new-foia-forum-11-19-1pm-flock/?ref=daily-stories-newsletter

2025-11-18 20:57:42 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…q8z0 @nprofile…0re8 this is only happening the past couple of days because our social person is AFK? I'm doing multiple jobs at the moment.

2025-11-17 14:54:38 UTC

This was a really great conversation between 404 Media's Emanuel Maiberg and Bloomberg's Jason Schreier about the existential crisis facing the video game industry, and especially what is happening with Microsoft/Xbox https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ydF7hD6cFI

2025-11-12 18:45:46 UTC

- reply

@nprofile…vqzg sorry that happened but obviously I really appreciate it! Hope the other reader does too.

2025-11-11 14:03:26 UTC

A Danish Redditor was sentenced for posting nude scenes from copyrighted films. Was similar to massive subreddit r/WatchItForThePlot, where people post clips of nude scenes—almost always featuring female actors—out of context https://www.404media.co/danish-redditor-charged-klammerefyr-sedetforplottet/

2025-10-30 15:12:29 UTC

New from 404 Media: someone managed to get into a Microsoft Teams call with phone hackers Cellebrite, who then detailed some of the company's hacking capabilities against Google Pixel phones. Also its capabilities against GrapheneOS, security-focused devices https://www.404media.co/someone-snuck-into-a-cellebrite-microsoft-teams-call-and-leaked-phone-unlocking-details/

2025-10-18 17:33:38 UTC

Went on WNYC’s On the Media to talk about Apple and Google’s crackdown on ICE spotting apps, including one that just archived videos of ICE abuses to use as evidence later.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/on-the-media/id73330715?i=1000732373759

2025-10-16 14:15:19 UTC

New from 404 Media: sites that use facial recognition are letting people unmask anyone's Tinder profile. I tested them out on two people; uncovered their account with their face. Designed to catch cheaters, but a massive gift to stalkers too. Going viral via creators https://www.404media.co/viral-cheater-buster-sites-use-facial-recognition-to-let-anyone-reveal-peoples-tinder-profiles/

2025-10-14 22:08:22 UTC

openai to finally acknowledge what has been driving the AI boom for years and years but no one really wants to admit: chatbots you can fuck https://www.404media.co/chatgpt-erotica-age-gating-verified-adults/

2025-10-13 13:34:03 UTC

For months I've been following what happened when a company forced AI into the world of craft beer. Legal threats, people quitting, and beer judges in revolt over being told to use AI.
"It is attempting to solve a problem that wasn’t a problem before AI showed up"
https://www.404media.co/what-happened-when-ai-came-for-craft-beer-canadian-beer-awards-best-beer-app/

2025-10-10 15:34:39 UTC

I spoke to Slate about why 404 Media is suing ICE for its $2 million spyware contract. The company ICE contracted with can remotely break into phones without the target even clicking a link https://slate.com/podcasts/what-next-tbd/2025/10/why-these-journalists-are-suing-ice

2025-08-14 21:09:35 UTC

Mastodon is very clearly the social network where people try to bypass our freewall, much more than any other social network. We explain why we have this in a 3000 word article here; it's to stop AI scrapers from ripping off our work (it has been effective) and to ensure we build a sustainable business so we can continue to do impactful investigative journalism (we are doing this). This is not an issue on other networks, it is specifically Mastodon https://www.404media.co/why-404-media-needs-your-email-address/

2025-04-07 20:58:28 UTC

Framework is going to stop selling some of its laptops in the U.S. due to tariffs. The company is one of the few that makes truly upgradeable and repairable laptops. Expect a lot, lot more of this
https://www.404media.co/framework-stops-selling-some-of-its-laptops-in-the-u-s-due-to-tariffs/

2025-03-28 16:15:18 UTC

I wrote about how the user experience of encrypted messaging tools is sometimes just as important as the underlying tech. PGP, Jabber etc were not accessible. Signal makes it seamless. But the UI still has issues that can lead to mistakes https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-foolishness-and-breaking-through/
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/114/240/945/705/598/768/original/60b9d32edd5645e7.png

2025-03-26 15:49:50 UTC

New: you really need to use Signal's nickname feature. Look what it's like when I search for "Jason" to make a group in my Signal app (left). Not useful information at all. You then use the nickname feature to add a name/identifier/note only you can see (right).
https://www.404media.co/you-need-to-use-signals-nickname-feature/
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2025-03-24 15:01:59 UTC

If you're in the market for the DNA of 15 million people, you're in luck https://www.404media.co/dna-of-15-million-people-for-sale-in-23andme-bankruptcy/

2025-03-24 13:03:33 UTC

New: the Mozilla Foundation is calling on the tech industry to block an ICE contractor's web scrapers. Amazon, Apple, BlueSky, Duolingo, Etsy, Glassdoor, GoFundMe, Google, LinkedIn, Nextdoor, OnlyFans, Reddit, Snapchat, Substack, TikTok, Tinder, Twitch, Twitter, more
https://www.404media.co/mozilla-foundation-calls-on-tech-industry-to-block-ice-contractor/

2025-03-21 16:01:31 UTC

In this week's Behind the Blog for 404 Media subscribers, I wrote about the decision to cover the site that was doxing Tesla owners, but not link to the site itself: https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-vile-media-and-fine-sciences/

2025-03-20 19:02:39 UTC

New from 404 Media: we went through court records to see how three alleged Tesla vandals were identified. License plate readers, looking through Instagram, fingerprints on Molotov cocktails, physical surveillance. Comes as authorities say this is domestic terrorism https://www.404media.co/how-three-alleged-tesla-vandals-got-caught/

2025-03-18 14:21:10 UTC

- reply

As this piece says, we don't put our FOIA reporting behind a paywall. We've done this since launch. FOIA reporting can be expensive (just today talking about a request that will cost thousands) but you can't charge for FOIA reporting https://freedom.press/issues/wired-is-dropping-paywalls-for-foia-based-reporting-others-should-follow/

2025-03-18 00:56:38 UTC

New from 404 Media: a site called 'Dogequest' claims to be doxing Tesla owners across the U.S. Verified that at least some of the people in there are Tesla/Musk supporters. Comes as Trump has said that violence against Tesla would be domestic terrorism.
https://www.404media.co/dogequest-site-claims-to-dox-tesla-owners-across-the-u-s/

2025-03-17 15:30:05 UTC

[content warning for disturbing stuff if you don't wanna see that right now] Article on how AI slop is a brute force attack on the algorithms that control reality. Here's an example of an Instagram feed right now . Entire companies are pivoting to making this stuff https://www.404media.co/ai-slop-is-a-brute-force-attack-on-the-algorithms-that-control-reality/
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/114/178/483/719/780/669/original/c30de9994a572297.mp4

2025-03-14 22:54:06 UTC

New: TSA confirms to 404 Media that the agency has a credit card freeze for its bomb-sniffing dogs. Comes after an alleged internal email said that requests for dog food and vet visits were on hold.
https://www.404media.co/tsa-k9-bomb-sniffing-dogs-funding/

2025-03-13 18:40:18 UTC

New: Mahmoud Khalil, detained Columbia protester, is suing Columbia University https://www.404media.co/detained-protester-mahmoud-khalil-sues-columbia-university/

2025-03-13 14:33:56 UTC

New from 404 Media: scientists from NASA, Yale, Stanford are already considering "scientific exile" by moving to a French university. French university says it has already gotten interest about the idea. We spoke to one researcher at a leading US university who has considered it
"We are witnessing a new brain drain."
https://www.404media.co/nasa-yale-and-stanford-scientists-consider-scientific-exile-french-university-says/

2025-03-12 16:47:37 UTC

Saudi Arabia just bought Pokemon Go, and probably all of your location data. Niantic (Pokemon Go creator) now spinning off their AI mapping business which was using Pokemon Go data to build an AI model
https://www.404media.co/saudi-arabia-buys-pokemon-go-and-probably-all-of-your-location-data/

2025-03-07 18:21:00 UTC

It's Friday so I wrote about the Supreme x Aphex Twin drop. Thought I would need to use a bot to secure any stock. Turns out... basically everyone (rightfully) thinks the clothes suck? The best defence against bots, it turns out, is to sell shit that no one wants.
https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-merch-drops-riso-prints-and-big-cars/
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2025-03-06 17:09:13 UTC

Google and Amazon's AIs say that Hitler's Mein Kampf is a "true work of art" https://www.404media.co/google-amazon-ai-search-mein-kampf-reviews/

2025-03-05 14:23:38 UTC

The 404 Media Podcast is up! This week:
- Cybertruck owners Facebook group overrun with people flipping them off
- how I got a tropical island ID that can bypass U.S. crypto laws
- subscribers-only: the bug that pushed horrible stuff across Instagram https://www.404media.co/podcast-the-tesla-protests-come-for-cybertruck-owners/

2025-02-28 17:05:54 UTC

I wrote about the UK's backdoor demand to Apple, and the (I think wrong) takes that Apple should have just pulled out of the UK entirely. I think Apple did the best option available to it from a series of bad choices, and ultimately protected its worldwide users https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-stunt-blogging-and-the-fuck-it-paradigm/
https://media.infosec.exchange/infosec.exchange/media_attachments/files/114/082/600/439/131/030/original/516f352dd7ef1e26.png