The 404 Media Podcast

Welcome to the podcast from 404 Media where Joseph, Sam, Emanuel, and Jason catch you up on the stories we published this week. 404 Media is a journalist-owned digital media company exploring the way technology is shaping–and is shaped by–our world. We bring you unparalleled access to hidden worlds both online and IRL through investigative reporting, smart blogging, and breaking news. At 404 Media you’ll read, and hear, stories you can’t find anywhere else written by journalists who are leading experts on their beats. Subscribe to 404 Media at 404media.co to gain access to an ad-free version of this podcast, as well as a bonus podcast episodes. Subscribers are the bedrock of building a sustainable business for our journalism. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episodes

The Tool That ICE Can Use to Track Pregnancy Websites and Fortnite

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...

Sep 20, 2023•39 min•Ep. 5

We Reveal One of the FBI's Most Closely Guarded Secrets

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 ...

Sep 14, 2023•41 min•Ep. 4

Amazon Is Selling AI-Generated Books That Are a Matter of 'Life or Death'

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 Disa...

Sep 06, 2023•40 min•Ep. 3

Instagram's Rampant Ads-for-Crime Problem

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 Car...

Aug 29, 2023•48 min•Ep. 2

Welcome to 404 Media

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 no...

Aug 22, 2023•37 min•Ep. 1

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