Behind the Blog: 'Wow Technology,' AI Content Creators, and Fake Cops
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: 'Wow Technology,' AI Content Creators, and Fake Cops

This week, we discuss staying connected in remote places, the future of the "content creator," and how a stalker posing as a cop tricked Verizon.
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404 Media is a new independent media company founded by technology journalists Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, Samantha Cole, and Joseph Cox. Read more about us here.
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Civitai and OctoML Introduce Radical New Measures to Stop Abuse After 404 Media Investigation
Impact

Civitai and OctoML Introduce Radical New Measures to Stop Abuse After 404 Media Investigation

The moves come after 404 Media revealed the a16z funded AI platform was being used to generate images that "could be categorized as child pornography."
Behind the Blog: 'Wow Technology,' AI Content Creators, and Fake Cops
Behind The Blog

Behind the Blog: 'Wow Technology,' AI Content Creators, and Fake Cops

This week, we discuss staying connected in remote places, the future of the "content creator," and how a stalker posing as a cop tricked Verizon.
Verizon Gave Phone Data to Armed Stalker Who Posed as Cop Over Email
News

Verizon Gave Phone Data to Armed Stalker Who Posed as Cop Over Email

The data transfer is a massive failure by Verizon, which fell for a low quality scam that may have put someone’s physical safety in danger.
Here's the Video For Our Second FOIA Forum: AI Surveillance and Pickleball
FOIA Forum

Here's the Video For Our Second FOIA Forum: AI Surveillance and Pickleball

Our second FOIA Forum tackled the serious stuff: surveillance and, uhh, pickleball!
Nicki Minaj Stans Have Built an AI-Generated, Sci-fi World
AI

Nicki Minaj Stans Have Built an AI-Generated, Sci-fi World

This is your captain speaking: Ahead of Minaj's 'Pink Friday 2' out on December 8, fans flock to an AI-generated world of their own making.
‘The Community Is Scrambling:’ Patreon Banned a Ton of 'Adult Baby/Diaper Lover' Furries
patreon

‘The Community Is Scrambling:’ Patreon Banned a Ton of 'Adult Baby/Diaper Lover' Furries

Patreon told creators that their accounts were banned for sexualizing minors, which members of the AB/DL community say is unfair and untrue — and throws many of them into real financial hardship.
Reuters Takes Down Blockbuster Hacker-for-Hire Investigation After Indian Court Order
News

Reuters Takes Down Blockbuster Hacker-for-Hire Investigation After Indian Court Order

The investigation gave unprecedented insight into how hacker-for-hire shops operated. Reuters says it stands by the reporting.
Annual Reminder: 23andMe Is a Dangerous Christmas Gift That Could Have Unforeseen Impacts on Your Entire Family, Your Children, Etc.
23andMe

Annual Reminder: 23andMe Is a Dangerous Christmas Gift That Could Have Unforeseen Impacts on Your Entire Family, Your Children, Etc.

The ever-worsening 23andMe hack shows the inherent vulnerability of genetic databases designed to show connections between people.
Podcast: a16z Funded AI Platform Generated Images That “Could Be Categorized as Child Pornography,” Leaked Documents Show
Podcast

Podcast: a16z Funded AI Platform Generated Images That “Could Be Categorized as Child Pornography,” Leaked Documents Show

On this week's episode we focus on Emanuel's new investigation into OctoML, the engine behind the a16z funded AI startup Civitai and how it generated images that “could be categorized as child pornography,” according to internal Slack chats.
Here's a Warrant Showing the U.S. Government is Monitoring Push Notifications
News

Here's a Warrant Showing the U.S. Government is Monitoring Push Notifications

The findings come on the heels of a letter from Senator Ron Wyden warning that governments are demanding data related to push notifications from Apple and Google.
Hidden Cameras, GPS Data, and License Plate Readers: How the USPIS Tracks Down Mail Thieves
News

Hidden Cameras, GPS Data, and License Plate Readers: How the USPIS Tracks Down Mail Thieves

A court record shows how the oft overlooked United States Postal Inspection Service turned to all manner of tech to investigate someone stealing from mailboxes.
Alibaba's 'Animate Anyone' Is Trained on Scraped Videos of Famous TikTokers
AI

Alibaba's 'Animate Anyone' Is Trained on Scraped Videos of Famous TikTokers

The new image-to-video model went viral this week because people saw potential to replace TikTok personalities, but ripping content creators' work is already baked into the tech.