Podcast
Podcast: 3D Printed Guns and UnitedHealthcare
This week we talk about the weapon used by the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO murderer; the sad state of OSINT after a suspect's name is released; how health insurance companies have tried to scrub leadership from the web; moderation challenges on Reddit; and deepfake apps.
News
Location Data Firm Offers to Help Cops Track Targets via Doctor Visits
Fog Data Science is a location tracking company that takes data harvested from smartphones and makes it accessible to cops. A document obtained by 404 Media shows the company explicitly says it will use doctors visits to unmask a target if needed.
News
UnitedHealthcare Shooting Person of Interest Had 3D Printed Glock
In what might be the first assassination in the United States using a 3D printed weapon, multiple people told 404 Media an image of the weapon found on the person of interest in the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO looks like a specific design of 3D printed Glock.
Announcements
404 Media Objects to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Subpoena to Access Our Reporting
404 Media's reporting on an internal Google privacy violation database has been subpoenaed by the State of Texas. We are fighting it.
Podcast
Podcast: Your Bluesky Posts Are Probably Training AI
We talk about the big datasets of Bluesky posts being offered to AI; how people are breaking into Redbox systems; and how the U.S. government is clamping down on data brokers.
News
FTC Bans Location Data Company That Powers the Surveillance Ecosystem
Venntel is a primary provider of location data to the government or other companies that sell to U.S. agencies. The FTC is banning Venntel from selling data related to health clinics, refugee shelters, and much more.
News
U.S. Government Tries to Stop Data Brokers That Help Dox People Through Credit Data
A new proposed rule change from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) could curtail the sale of American's personal data. That's if the agency survives the Trump presidency.
Podcast
Podcast: Pokémon Go to The Military Industrial Complex
Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, is building an AI model based on user data; we discuss the rise of AI pimping, and a phone sold the U.S. military is expanding to the public.
News
Tether Has Become a Massive Money Laundering Tool for Mexican Drug Traffickers, Feds Say
Tether is being used on a massive scale by large scale drug traffickers, to the point where Tether is sold cheaper in Mexico due to its links to drugs, according to court records reviewed by 404 Media.
News
I Don't Own a Cellphone. Can This Privacy-Focused Network Change That?
A small tech company called Cape has been selling a privacy-focused cellphone service to the U.S. military. Now Cape will be offering its product to high-risk members of the public.
Podcast
Podcast: Buzzfeed's AI Ads Are a Disaster
We chat Buzzfeed's AI-powered ads, a big Graykey leak, and the wave of publishers making deals with AI companies.
News
Leaked Documents Show What Phones Secretive Tech ‘Graykey’ Can Unlock
The documents provide never-been-seen insight into the current cat-and-mouse game between forensics companies and phone manufacturers Apple and Google.