Announcements
Please, please do our reader survey
It'll take just a minute and help 404 Media figure out how to grow sustainably.
News
Google Calls ICE Agents a Vulnerable Group, Removes ICE-Spotting App ‘Red Dot’
The move comes as Apple removed ICEBlock after direct pressure from U.S. Department of Justice officials and signals a broader crackdown on ICE-spotting apps.
News
Can You Win a Congressional Seat Without Social Media?
Carleigh Beriont is running for Congress as an “anti-social Democrat” and she thinks the party needs to abandon social media nationally also.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Open-Source Drama and Saudi-Approved Humor
This week, we discuss characters in open source, that Saudi comedy festival, and asking ourselves if we're haters.
News
ICEBlock Owner After Apple Removes App: ‘We Are Determined to Fight This’
Apple removed ICEBlock reportedly after direct pressure from Department of Justice officials. “I am incredibly disappointed by Apple's actions today. Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move,” the developer said.
News
Earth Is Getting Darker, Literally, and Scientists Are Trying To Find Out Why
For decades, scientists assumed that symmetry between the reflectivity of Earth’s hemispheres was a “fundamental property” of our planet. Now, that’s changed.
News
Red Hat Investigating Breach Impacting as Many as 28,000 Customers, Including the Navy and Congress
A hacking group called the Crimson Collective says it pulled data from GitLab repositories connected to Red Hat's consulting business. Red Hat has confirmed it is investigating the compromise.
Immigration
Government Shutdown Causes Even More Confusion for U.S. Visa Applicants
Some services needed for immigration applications, like H-1B and E3 visas, no longer have funding, while others are still operational — for now.
News
AI-Generated Biography on Amazon Tries to Capitalize on the Death of a Beloved Writer Kaleb Horton
‘I cannot overstate how disgusting I find this kind of AI dog shit in the first place, never mind under these circumstances.’
OpenAI
OpenAI’s Sora 2 Copyright Infringement Machine Features Nazi SpongeBobs and Criminal Pikachus
The main use of Sora appears to generate brainrot of major beloved copyrighted characters, to say nothing of the millions of articles, images, and videos OpenAI has scraped.
Photography
Kodak Is Selling Its Own Film Again for the First Time in a Decade
Kodak announced two new types of film that it will sell directly to photography stores, sidestepping a bizarre distribution agreement that has been in place since its bankruptcy.
Announcements
404 Media and Freedom of the Press Foundation Sue DHS
Both organizations are seeking a copy of a data sharing agreement that is giving the personal data of nearly 80 million Medicaid patients to ICE.