-
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg Put on 'Leave of Absence'
Mullenweg, co-founder of WordPress, wrote in a company-wide Slack messages on Wednesday, viewed by 404 Media, that board members "conspired" behind his back to vote to put him on leave.
www.404media.co -
Doctor Doom Thanked Seattle for All the Surveillance Cameras
‘We must work to crush any dissent to Doom’s vision of public safety,’ the Marvel supervillain told the city as it considered multiple surveillance proposals.
www.404media.co -
The Remnants of a Lost ‘Supercontinent’ Just Rewrote the History of Life on Earth
A team discovered that Gondwana, an ancient landmass that formed more than 500 million years ago, was in fact large enough to be deemed a supercontinent, a finding that sheds light on the “explosion” of ancient Cambrian life.
www.404media.co -
Smear Campaign Says Anti-Flock Movement Is Chinese Propaganda
Sinclair Broadcasting is pushing the idea that China and the No Kings protesters are the reason people don't like Flock.
www.404media.co -
Podcast: DHS’ Secretive ‘Predictive Policing’ Unit Pulling People Over
Secretive predictive policing units; a funk shirt designed to fool AI; and our third anniversary party.
www.404media.co -
First ‘Take It Down Act’ Sentencing Puts Man Behind Bars for 15 Years
James Strahler was sentenced to 15 years in prison for “cybercrimes that included both real and AI-generated sexually explicit images and threats of violence to numerous victims.”
www.404media.co -
'Tell Everyone:' A Man Died by Suicide After Talking to ChatGPT. His Former Partner Wants to Warn the World About AI
After allegedly becoming emotionally reliant on ChatGPT, Austin died at 40 years old, leaving behind family and friends who loved him. Megan wants everyone to know what happened.
www.404media.co -
The Man on a Quest to Digitally Preserve America’s Public Restrooms
The Restroom Archive is a museum-style repository of 3D scans of the world's restrooms.
www.404media.co -
Channel 5 Gave Hunter Biden a List of Its Subscribers’ Emails for Some Reason
A data protection lawyer told 404 Media the sharing was likely illegal, and Channel 5’s own privacy policy explicitly says it won't give subscribers’ emails away to people for marketing purposes.
www.404media.co -
A Secretive DHS ‘Predictive Policing’ Unit is Analyzing Americans’ Financial Habits and Pulling Them Over
404 Media is revealing the name of Border Patrol's predictive policing units, which analyze financial data and have local cops pull people over. The people are not suspected of any particular crime.
www.404media.co -
We Are Going to Be Okay: A Three Year Anniversary Events Recap
Thank you for three years, and for partying hard with us for two sold out nights of celebration IRL in NYC.
www.404media.co -
Breakthrough Quantum Test Resolves a Major Cosmic Mystery
Using an advanced new instrument, scientists observed Einstein’s equivalence principle on a free-falling quantum object, demonstrating that this prediction of general relativity also holds up in quantum physics.
www.404media.co -
Flock Taught Cops How to Surveil No Kings Protesters
A Flock webinar teaches police how to surveil protests, fireworks shows, parades, bike races, and more.
www.404media.co -
How the Hell Did an Island Suddenly Appear, Then Vanish?
A floating mass of trees and vegetation in British Columbia’s Williston Lake attracted international attention after it was filmed this summer by boaters—and then seemed to disappear.
www.404media.co -
A16z Says You Actually Love Social Media, Enshittification Isn’t Real
An a16z article argues that enshittification isn’t real and that people actually love social media.
www.404media.co -
Texas Police Used AI to Write Report About Using Flock to Search for Woman Who Had Abortion
The incident shows how quickly police departments have come to use AI surveillance tools even in critically sensitive cases.
www.404media.co -
The Republican Nominee for New York Governor Made a Creepy, AI-Generated Video of Mamdani and Hochul
The video makes Zohran Mamdani and Kathy Hochul look like they're hanging out in a prescription medication commercial.
www.404media.co -
Cops Are Asking Axon to Make Their Cameras Look Different From Flock So People Don't Destroy Them
“Is there any talk to redesign the Outpost to not look exactly like the Flock camera — I think it will help agencies with the optics while we batten down the hatches,” one apparent cop asked during a now deleted Axon webinar.
www.404media.co -
Podcast: We Spoke to an Amazon Worker Destroying Books for AI
A follow up to the Amazon destroying books for AI story, why a bunch of names keep appearing in AI-generated papers, and ICE's latest spending spree.
www.404media.co -
Oklahoma Tells City It Can't Charge $17,125.44 for a Records Request Related to Data Center Arrest
The the city tried to charge a farmer more than $17,000 for bodycam footage and records related to his arrest at a city council meeting.
www.404media.co -
This 'Digital Camouflage' Shirt Confuses AI-Powered Surveillance Cameras
I watched Simon Weckert's 'digital camouflage' in action.
www.404media.co -
How Cyber Sleuths Tracked a Nigerian Scammer to His Doorstep
Erin West and Paul Raffile went to Nigeria to track down a scammer. They found much more than just his identity.
www.404media.co -
Google's Calling Lake Ontario 'Lake America' Now
Google Maps announced on Saturday it would start reflecting the change for U.S.-based users.
www.404media.co -
Thousands of Interstellar Objects May Be Lurking in Our Solar System
The Sun has likely passed so close to other stars in the past that it captured thousands of small interstellar objects from alien systems, reports a new study.
www.404media.co -
Behind the Blog: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Flamin' Hot Slop
This week, we discuss cool old books, new toys for ICE, and a boardwalk slop invasion.
www.404media.co -
ICE Plans to Spend Millions on Boston Dynamics Dog Robots
ICE wants the robot dogs to improve “officer safety.”
www.404media.co -
The AI ‘Ghosts’ Contaminating Academic Publishing
“The academic record is being quietly haunted” by researchers with names like Elena Vasquez and Marcus Chen.
www.404media.co -
The Tragedy and Ecstasy of AI Companions (with Bridget Todd)
In her new audiobook, Love at First Prompt: AI and the Future of Intimacy, Bridget Jones and Michael Amato unpack how real people are using chatbots to seek connection, in an era when tech companies are constantly trying to exploit our innermost worlds.
www.404media.co -
Cocomelon's Studio Tells Its Artists to Start Experimenting With AI
Moonbug Entertainment, which makes Cocomelon, Blippi, and other popular content for children, says it will begin using AI but will always have a 'human in the loop.'
www.404media.co -
Businesses Go Viral for Making Signs Without AI
In the wake of the ChatGPT flyer pandemic, some businesses are differentiating themselves by making signs the old school way.
www.404media.co -
Florida ‘Deputy of the Year’ Used Flock to Stalk Ex, Held Gun in Her Mouth, Did a Nazi Salute
The deputy resigned after an investigation uncovered an alleged history of racism, stalking, and sexual abuse.
www.404media.co -
A Student Said He Was a Hobby Plane Spotter. He Was Allegedly Taking Photos for the Chinese Government
Weiheng Zeng originally said he took photos of planes for an aviation fan website. Later he admitted a suspected Chinese government official had given him specific locations in the U.S. to go photograph.
www.404media.co -
Scientists Discover Vast Underground 'Anomaly' on Mars
Scientists have used a novel technique to detect a major temperature asymmetry under the surface of Mars that could shed light on the evolution and past habitability of the red planet.
www.404media.co -
Flock’s CEO Is Lying to Cops About 404 Media's Reporting on Abortion Case
Garrett Langley, Flock’s CEO, told cops that a 404 Media story about cops using Flock to track someone who self-administered an abortion was "entirely false." He's lying.
www.404media.co -
Inside the Warehouse Where Amazon Scans and Destroys Books for AI Training
An interview with one of the Amazon employees at Amazon’s AI training facility VGT3.
www.404media.co -
Podcast: Cops Are Making Fake Flock Cameras and Amazon Packages
Cops making fake Flock cameras to catch people, Darth Vader unmasked, and our three year anniversary.
www.404media.co -
Israel Is Running a Synthetic Think Tank to Influence AI Search Results
An Israel-funded think tank is churning out AI written essays to catch the attention of AI chatbots and warp search results.
www.404media.co -
ICE Wants the Country’s Voter Data
Voting data is public by design, but ICE is looking for a federal contractor to help it handle voter registration and history files to find what it describes as fraud.
www.404media.co -
Charges Dropped Against Person Who Clapped at a City Data Center Meeting
Lux Claridge was dragged from a city meeting about data centers and charged with interfering with the police after they clapped during a presentation.
www.404media.co -
Man Charged With 3 Felonies For Breaking 3D-Printed ‘Decoy’ Flock Camera
Police are devising sting operations to catch Flock vandals, then charging them with felonies.
www.404media.co -
The Man Behind the Anti-Flock Darth Vader Mask Wants to Know: 'When Will This End?'
Anthony Ralphs has been speaking against Flock at San Diego City Council meetings for almost a year straight. When he showed up as Darth Vader, the world started watching.
www.404media.co -
How a Network of Volunteers Is Liberating Critical Court Records for Everyone
Habeas Dockets are publishing immigration court records that normally aren't available online.
www.404media.co -
Brand Hype Has Existed Since the Bronze Age, Scientists Discover
The Qurayyah Painted Ware of Bronze Age Arabia had distinct visual identity, material consistency, technological continuity, and cultural reputation—all features of a commodified brand, scientists say.
www.404media.co -
Behind the Blog: Early Birthday Reflections
This week, we discuss our party and panel coming up, and do some light reminiscing.
www.404media.co -
'Darth Vader' Wants Flock in San Diego
"The emperor is a fan of Flock, and we must continue utilizing Flock technologies so that we can follow and surveil the rebel scum," Vader said during the meeting.
www.404media.co -
Subtlefakes: Slightly Altered Nonconsensual AI Images Are Taking Over X
Nonconsensual AI images are getting much harder to spot.
www.404media.co -
Township Fights Nuclear Weapons Data Center By Passing a Moratorium on Electrical Infrastructure
The six month moratorium on major electrical infrastructure projects is the latest tactic meant to delay the massive data center meant to support America’s nuclear weapons.
www.404media.co -
Podcast: Amazon is Destroying Rare Books to Train AI
Amazon buying and destroying rare books to train AI; a bunch of wild AI use in the courts; and Meta's new patent for its AI smart glasses.
www.404media.co -
Lifeforms Can Survive on ‘Significant’ Regions of the Moon, Study Finds
The Moon was long thought to be inhospitable to life, but scientists have discovered that common Earth microbes could survive for up to a week in shadowed regions of the lunar south pole, a region targeted for future human exploration.
www.404media.co -
'I Saw a Shiny Thing': Cop Explains Why He Used License Plate Reader to Stalk Woman
Body camera footage shows police surveillance abuse is common: "We’ve told them over and over again: 'You see a hot chick, you don’t look them up in a database.'"
www.404media.co