Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Chatbot 'Addiction' and a Reading List
This week, we discuss wrestling over a good headline, what to read this summer, and Super 8 film.
vance
'My Bad:' Babyface Vance Meme Creator On Norwegian Tourist's Detainment
404 Media spoke to Dave McNamee, the original creator of the babyface Vance meme, about free speech, our rights, and how it feels to see the thing you created being blamed for someone's denial of entry to the U.S.
Deepfakes
A Deepfake Nightmare: Stalker Allegedly Made Sexual AI Images of Ex-Girlfriends and Their Families
An Ohio man is accused of making violent, graphic deepfakes of women with their fathers, and of their children. Device searches revealed he searched for "undress" apps and "ai porn."
platforms
Massive Creator Platform Fansly Bans Furries
Blaming payment processor restrictions, Fansly—a platform creators flocked to after OnlyFans announced it'd ban sex—announced it's changing the rules for multiple types of content.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: The Omnipresence Is the Point
This week, we discuss Deadheads and doxxing sites.
politics
RNC Sued Over WinRed's Constant 'ALL HELL JUST BROKE LOOSE!' Fundraising Texts
The RNC and other Republican groups are violating Utah telecommunications law by continuing to text people incessantly after they've asked them to stop, a new complaint alleges.
Meta
Meta Users Feel Less Safe Since It Weakened ‘Hateful Conduct’ Policy, Survey Finds
A survey of 7,000 active users on Instagram, Facebook and Threads shows people feel grossed out and unsafe since Mark Zuckerberg's decision to scale back moderation after Trump's election.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Advertising and Aircraft
This week, we discuss advertising, protests, and aircraft.
ai therapy
AI Therapy Bots Are Conducting 'Illegal Behavior,' Digital Rights Organizations Say
Exclusive: An FTC complaint led by the Consumer Federation of America outlines how therapy bots on Meta and Character.AI have claimed to be qualified, licensed therapists to users, and why that may be breaking the law.
AI
Why Was Nvidia Hosting Blogs About 'Brazilian Facesitting Fart Games'?
Domains owned by Nvidia, Stanford, NPR and the U.S. government are being quietly eaten by AI slop.
girls do porn
Girls Do Porn Ringleader Pleads Guilty, Faces Life In Prison
Michael Pratt led Girls Do Porn, a sex trafficking operation that targeted hundreds of young women with force, fraud and coercion.