Podcast
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.
Privacy
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.
DHS
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.
party
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.
axon
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.
Podcast
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.
scams
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.
Behind The Blog
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.
ICE
ICE Plans to Spend Millions on Boston Dynamics Dog Robots
ICE wants the robot dogs to improve “officer safety.”
AI
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.
China
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.
Flock
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.