FOIA
DHS Is Deploying a Powerful Surveillance Tool at College Football Games
Public records show DHS is deploying the "Homeland Security Information Network" at college protests and football games.
FOIA
Police Bodycam Shows Sheriff Hunting for 'Obscene' Books at Library
Body camera footage from Idaho reveals a sheriff hunting for a YA book he could use for a political stunt.
AI
Romance Authors Riled by 'From Meet-Bot to AI-Do' Writing Workshop
A chapter of the Romance Writers of America organization planned a program called “From Meet-Bot to AI-Do: Crafting Romances in the Realm of AI," but it's since been scrubbed from the site after backlash from authors.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: VICE’s Legacy and the Idea That ‘The Internet Is Forever’
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we reflect on VICE's legacy, archiving, and whether the internet is really forever.
FOIA Forum
Our Third FOIA Forum! 3/6, 2PM EST
We are hosting our third FOIA Forum at the start of March. Join the livestream, file FOIAs with us, get tips, and more.
Reddit: 'We Are in the Early Stages of Monetizing Our User Base'
Reddit's filing with the SEC makes clear that training AI with user posts is a core part of Reddit's new business model.
Courtwatch
Darknet Drug Dealers Arrested After Packages of Meth-Laced Adderall Repeatedly Returned to Sender
'Professional Paper Filing Inc.' was a fictitious name. But the return address went to a real, uninvolved business.
Impact
FTC Fines Avast $16.5 Million For Selling Browsing Data Harvested by Antivirus
I previously revealed that Jumpshot, part of the cybersecurity company Avast, was selling products based on users’ browsing data harvested by its antivirus software. Now the FTC has issued a multimillion dollar fine in response.
Podcast
Podcast: A Deepfake Nightmare + Vibrator Malware
How a deepfake nudify app rocked a high school; the spread of fake funeral livestream scams on Facebook; and a very serious investigation into whether a particular brand of vibrator is distributing malware.
News
Instacart’s AI Recipes Look Literally Impossible
Instacart is showing customers images of AI-generated food and recipes with ingredients that don’t seem to exist.
News
ChatGPT Started Speaking Complete Gibberish
OpenAI said that it has identified the issue and is monitoring the situation.
News
Helldivers 2 Is So Popular Players Are Squatting Servers
I admit it: I'm logging in at 9am to just to secure a spot for later in the evening.
News
Fake Funeral Live Stream Scams Are All Over Facebook
Scammers are copying genuine funeral service announcements, making their own Facebook accounts, then directing vulnerable victims to a fake livestream page. “It causes panic on the day where you shouldn't be thinking of that,” one impacted person said.