Emanuel and Jason break down the arrest of Telegram cofounder Pavel Durov, a slide deck showing "active listening" advertising based on microphone data, and a concerning new study that shows AI-generated CSAM is more common than you think.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This month Joseph went to the annual DEF CON hacking conference and spoke to a bunch of interesting hackers, researchers, and technologists. We wanted to provide our paying subscribers with a snapshot of what it's like to be at DEF CON—the sounds, the vibe, the people, the hacks. Become a paying subscriber now at 404media.co to listen! The Golden Age of Hackers in Vegas Is Over Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this episode talking about some exciting updates for the podcast! For the first story, Joseph explains how an ID verification service for TikTok, Uber, and X exposed driver licenses, in a sign of what may be come as more sites demand to know our real identities. After the break, Jason breaks down what the FBI found when it investigated a specific Zoom Bombing ring. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel and Joseph talk all about TLO, a powerful data tool that is being advertised on Fiverr to dox anyone for $30. ID Verification Service for TikTok, Uber, X Exposed Driver Licenses 'Local Residents' Terrorizing City Council Meetings Were Actually Overseas, Feds Allege Fiverr Freelancers Offer to Dox Anyone With Powerful U.S. Data Tool Subscribe at gain access to bonus content at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here's a fun one: Emanuel made his own ChatGPT-powered news site that ripped off our work and that of WIRED, The Verge, and others to show just how easy spinning up one of these AI click farms really is. After the break, we listen to some of the AI-generated music that has major record labels suing some startups. In the subscribers-only section, Sam tells us all about how a bunch of chatbots suddenly changed personality overnight. I Paid $365.63 to Replace 404 Media With AI Listen to the AI-Generated Ripoff Songs That Got Udio and Suno Sued ‘No Bot is Themselves Anymore:’ Character.ai Users Report Sudden Personality Changes to Chatbots Subscribe and gain access to bonus content at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joseph is out this week, so the leftover crew considers what it means for Google image search to be taken over by AI images, talks about #finance, and discusses how an already sensationalist NY Times article about internet in the Amazon rainforest got further sensationalized. Articles discussed: AI Images in Google Search Results Have Opened a Portal to Hell You Probably Unwittingly Voted to Give Elon Musk a Huge Raise First Google Search Result for Tiananmen Square “Tank Man” Is AI Generated Selfie ‘Remote’ Amazonian Tribes Have Been Using the Internet for a Long Time Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It feels way longer than a week since our last episode, weird. Anyway this week we start with a wild story with Emanuel, about how people in the US are paying a company, which in turn hires people in the Philippines to then call around U.S. pharmacies to check whether certain drugs are in stock. It shows just how bad the Adderall shortage in the U.S. has gotten. After the break, Sam tells us about a particularly alarming AirTags stalking case, and how the FBI flipped the script on the suspect. In the subscribers-only section, Jason breaks down a bunch of new information regarding the (alleged?) bankruptcy of media organization the Gateway Pundit. Americans Are Hiring People in the Philippines to Help Them Find Adderall A Suspected Human Smuggler Used AirTags to Track and Control The Woman He Brought Into the U.S. Gateway Pundit Bankruptcy Is a 'Delay Tactic,' Election Workers Suing the Company Say Subscribe for bonus content at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A something extra for our listeners this week. Joseph went on an episode of Whale Hunting to talk about his new book DARK WIRE, in which the FBI secretly ran its own encrypted messaging app to wiretap the world. Whale Hunting is a great podcast that has journalists go behind-the-scenes on their own stories. It is absolutely worth listening to if you don't already! Whale Hunting Podcast DARK WIRE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week with a massive leak from inside Google. We obtained a copy of an internal Google database the company uses to track potential privacy and security issues. It's incredibly rare to get this sort of insight into a big tech company, and we explain what's inside the data itself. After the break, Sam tells us who deepfake legislation may leave behind. In the subscribers-only section, Jason explains how he tracked down the earliest known source of the All Eyes on Rafah image: a Facebook group dedicated to the AI industry. Inside the Biggest FBI Sting Operation in History Google Leak Reveals Thousands of Privacy Incidents Google Contractor Used Admin Access to Leak Info From Private Nintendo YouTube Video Laws About Deepfakes Can’t Leave Sex Workers Behind Viral ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ Image Came From Facebook Group to Make ‘AI Industry Prosper’ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We revisit our Why Google Is Shit Now episode with something of an update: Google got worse! Of course we're talking about the embarrassing rollout of Google's AI-powered answers. Jason explains the supply chain of data, and especially how it comes from Reddit posts. After the break, Emanuel continues the Google theme with a Google researcher written study which shows that AI is now a leading disinformation vector. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about Sam's and Emaunel's piece on AI-generated CSAM not being a victimless crime. Google Is Paying Reddit $60 Million for Fucksmith to Tell Its Users to Eat Glue Google Researchers Say AI Now Leading Disinformation Vector (and Are Severely Undercounting the Problem) AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material Is Not a ‘Victimless Crime’ Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Really excited about this one. We spend the entire episode talking about SS7, the fundamental network and protocol which is both at the heart of the world's telecommunications infrastructure, and crucial for governments, spy firms, and criminals to monitor people or intercept texts. In the first half we break ton what SS7 is, why it's an issue, and our nearly 10 years of experience covering it. Then, we talk about the news we revealed about a U.S. cybersecurity official breaking rank with his agency to expose SS7 attacks in the U.S. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about Axon's new ChatGPT-like tool which automatically creates narratives from police bodycam audio, and all the implications that might have. Cyber Official Speaks Out, Reveals Mobile Network Attacks in U.S. Here Is What Axon’s Bodycam Report Writing AI Looks Like Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got something of a John Deere special episode this week. We start with Jason's piece on how the recent solar storm knocked out GPS for John Deere tractors, having a direct impact on farming across the country. After the break, Jason breaks down his deep dive into the various walls closing around John Deere's right to repair monopoly. In the subscribers-only section, we've got two wild Amazon stories: one on the bots used by Amazon workers to book time off, and another on "Swag Bucks," Amazon's internal employee cash system. Solar Storm Knocks Out Farmers' Tractor GPS Systems During Peak Planting Season The Walls Are Closing in on John Deere’s Tractor Repair Monopoly Amazon Workers Use Bots to Claim Limited Supply of Time Off Amazon’s Swag Store Sells Neck Fans to Prevent Workers from Overheating Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apologies for some audio issues this week, they'll be fixed next time, but for now we have a super packed episode! We start with Jason's months-long deep dive into what Facebook has become with all of that AI-generated garbage on the site. It's not the dead internet, it's something much worse. After the break, Emanuel explains how Pokemon Go players are manipulating mapping technology to cheat at the game. Then in the subscribers-only section, Jason breaks down the latest cat and mouse game between ticket sellers and brokers. Facebook’s AI Spam Isn’t the ‘Dead Internet’: It’s the Zombie Internet Pokémon Go Players Invent Fake Beaches on Real Maps to Catch Rare Wigletts How Resellers Are Transferring Billie Eilish's 'Untransferable' Tickets Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Sam starts with how Taylor Swift could sue Donald Trump for posting a series of fake, AI-generated images that claimed she wanted fans to vote for the presidential candidate. After the break, Joseph pieces together how the U.S. has been quietly using hacked messages from an encrypted phone company to prosecute alleged cocaine traffickers. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about how Sam triggered a lawsuit against Nvidia for scraping YouTube, and go longer on why we generate impact and how. Swift Could Sue Trump Under State Law for Fake AI Endorsement US Feds Are Tapping a Half Billion Encrypted Messaging Goldmine Nvidia Sued for Scraping YouTube After 404 Media Investigation Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this week's episode with a mystery: where did a 17-second music snippet that has puzzled online sleuths for years really come from? Sam breaks it down. After the break, Joseph explains how an online service was scraping and selling Discord server messages for as little as $5. Then in the subscribers-only section, Jason takes us into the world of influencers who are using AI livestream apps, complete with fake audiences, and how they're being used to target women. Long Lost Song Hunted By Thousands Found in 80s Porno Discord Shuts Down ‘Spy Pet’ Bots That Scraped, Sold User Messages Men Use Fake Livestream Apps With AI Audiences to Hit on Women Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a long one! First Joseph previews his upcoming book, DARK WIRE. Go to the link below and enter "DW20" for 20% off! Also make sure to redeem your preorder behind-the-scenes bonus content. As for this week's stories, we start off with Jason explaining why we can, we must, dunk on the Humane Ai Pin, a piece of hardware that is AI's Juicero moment. After the break, Emanuel shows that Instagram is advertising deepfake nudify apps, the sort that are being abused right now in schools. In the subscribers-only section, we talk a bunch about Reddit, and especially how a tool has been made to sprinkle AI-generated product placements into popular Reddit threads. Preorder DARK WIRE for bonus content and 20% off with code "DW20" We Can, and We Must, Clown on the Humane AI Pin Forever Instagram Advertises Nonconsensual AI Nude Apps AI Is Poisoning Reddit to Promote Products and Game Google With 'Parasite SEO' Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start this episode with Joseph's latest fly-on-the-wall investigation into the Com, the nebulous online entity and culture that is linked to some of the most high profile and brazen data breaches in recent history. Joseph sat in their chatrooms while rival hackers and criminals doxed and physically robbed one another. A true melding of digital and physical crime. After the break, Jason breaks down why some researchers are calling out Google on some of its AI science research. In the subscribers-only section, Sam explains why a guy made an AI-powered (kinda) sex box. Inside the ‘Com World War’: Robberies, Brickings, and ‘Drama’ Is Google's AI Actually Discovering 'Millions of New Materials?' This Man Wants to ‘Save the World’ By Letting You Jerk Off Into a Computer Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We start the episode with an announcement: we've brought on our first 404 Media fellow Jules Roscoe! They did amazing work at Motherboard, and we're stoked to have them on board to cover labor for us and getting our work to audiences wherever they are. As for this week's stories, we start with Jason's wild one about grifters who are taking influencer's videos, deepfaking an AI face onto them, and then driving people to OnlyFans-style accounts. After the break, Sam talks about the couple who have finally got porn onto the Apple Vision Pro. In the subscribers-only section, Jules tells us what they saw when visiting a particular, Zoom-powered chicken shop in NYC. ‘AI Instagram Influencers’ Are Deepfaking Their Faces Onto Real Women’s Bodies How Amateur Performers Are Making Porn in the Apple Vision Pro NYC Chicken Shop Replaces Cashier With Woman in Philippines On Zoom Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a super fun episode with a lot of labor themes throughout. Jason starts off by describing the totally wild Xz backdoor which, in a way, was an open source labor issue. Then Emanuel takes us through how AI might be sneaking into the peer-review process. Then in the subscribers-only section, Sam explains why a major journal has decided to stop the use of an infamous image in its papers. The Xz Backdoor Highlights the Vulnerability of Open Source Software—and Its Strengths ChatGPT Looms Over the Peer-Review Crisis Scientific Journal Bans Images of ‘Lena,’ Researchers’ Favorite Centerfold Subscribe at 404media.co for access to the bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A jam packed episode this week. First, Jason explains how a 'study' that says surveillance company Flock is “instrumental in solving 10 percent of reported crime in the US” is heavily flawed. He got a bunch of internal emails and spoke to those involved. After the break, Sam and Emanuel tell us how people are being pushed to far sketchier parts of the web after Pornhub pulled out of Texas. Then in the subscribers-only section, Jason and Joseph detail how they dug into the new owners of Deadspin, and what that all means for the wider media industry. Let’s Talk About the Flock Study That Says It Solves Crime Age Verification Laws Drag Us Back to the Dark Ages of the Internet Deadspin Is Becoming a Gambling Referral Site Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shrimp Jesus. Shrimp Jesus. Shrimp Jesus. That is what the first story is about! We now have robust academic research into the mass of AI-generated garbage flooding Facebook. Jason takes us through what this era of Facebook means. After the break, Sam explains why Pornhub pulled out of Texas. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph shows how two of the biggest safe lock manufacturers in the world have put backdoors into their products. Facebook’s Algorithm Is Boosting AI Spam That Links to AI-Generated, Ad-Laden Click Farms Pornhub Pulls Out of Texas Massively Popular Safe Locks Have Secret Backdoor Codes Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content and an ad-free version of the podcast. Get 20% off your DeleteMe plan here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Somehow we filled a whole hour and it felt like five minutes! First Joseph explains his deep story on how hackers and fraudsters are injecting themselves into the electronic prescription system to order mountains of drugs. Then Emanuel breaks down how 404 Media, bizarrely, is included in a fake Netflix trailer that was probably made for the benefit of the Russian state. Then in the subscribers-only section, the group chats about ElevenLabs, and how Emanuel bypassed the company's "no-go voice" policy. How Hackers Dox Doctors to Order Mountains of Oxy and Adderall Why Is 404 Media Included in a Fake Netflix Trailer Made by Russia? ElevenLabs Block on Cloning Biden's Voice Easily Bypassed Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We go long (and play some bonus audio) for Jason's story inside the wild world of TikTok and Instagram hustlers who are using AI to swarm platforms with automatically generated garbage content. Some of them are making a killing in the process. After the break, we talk about Sam's story on Etsy sellers stealing fan fiction writers' work. Then in the subscriber-only section, Jason breaks down why a right to repair victory in Oregon is a massive deal for Apple globally. Inside the World of TikTok Spammers and the AI Tools That Enable Them Fanfiction Community Rocked By Etsy Sellers Turning Their Work Into Bound Books Oregon Passes Bill That Would Make iPhones More Repairable Everywhere Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tumblr and WordPress are set to sell posts to OpenAI and Midjourney. And cops are wearing body cameras in libraries. In this episode, Jason, Sam, and Emanuel try to explain what it means for OpenAI and Midjourney to scrape Tumblr's posts, broader chaos at the company, and whether AI is going to run out of things to ingest. Then we talk about the war on libraries, which is taking place all over the country. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're dedicating a whole episode to Sam's new narrative piece on how a ragtag group of friends hunted down a wanted sex trafficking ringleader. First we give you all the context for why this person, Michael Pratt, eventually ended up on the FBI's Most Wanted list. Then Sam breaks down the hunt for Pratt, told through the eyes of the people who were there. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains how and why hackers are "Airbnb hopping." 'She Turned Ghost White:' How a Ragtag Group of Friends Tracked Down a Sex Trafficking Ringleader ‘Airbnb Hopping’: How Hunted Hackers Stay on the Run From Kidnappers Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New format alert! We are experimenting with publishing additional interview episodes! These will not replace the normal weekly show. Rather, we'll upload an interview with people we find interesting whenever we feel a good opportunity comes up. Subscribers as usual get early and ad-free access. This episode is with Byron Tau, an investigative journalist and author of the new book Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government is Creating a New American Surveillance State. Joseph's and Byron's work on location data has bounced off each others' for years. Finally, the pair sit down and talk all about the adtech surveillance industry. Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government is Creating a New American Surveillance State Subscribe at 404media.co for bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A ton of stuff to talk about this week. We start with Jason and Emanuel's dive into how a deepfake nudify app rocked a high school. We got a copy of the police report, and more than anything else it shows we're simply not ready for what deepfakes will mean for ordinary people. Then Joseph talks about uncovering a network of fake funeral livestream scams on Facebook. In the subscribers-only section, we talk about Jason and Sam's very serious investigation into whether a certain brand of vibrator is actually delivering malware or not. ‘What Was She Supposed to Report?:’ Police Report Shows How a High School Deepfake Nightmare Unfolded Fake Funeral Live Stream Scams Are All Over Facebook Do Spencer’s Vibrators Have Malware on Them? An Investigation Subscribe for bonus content at 404media.co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've got a real variety this week. First, Emanuel talks about Paradox.ai, a tool that massive brands like McDonald's, CVS, and FedEx are using to screen job applicants. It uses a bit of AI, but really this is more of a labor story. Then Jason breaks down Stract, an open source search engine that is trying to do search better than the increasingly bad experience of Google. In the subscribers-only section, the group goes long on how a viral story about a botnet of toothbrushes turned out to not be true, and how we've dealt with similar stories before. Service Jobs Now Require Bizarre Personality Test From AI Company This Guy Has Built an Open Source Search Engine as an Alternative to Google in His Spare Time The Viral Smart Toothbrush Botnet Story Is Not Real Get that bonus content by subscribing at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with Joseph's investigation into OnlyFake, an underground website that lets anyone generate convincing photos of fake IDs at the click of a mouse. Joseph successfully used one of these to bypass the identity verification process at a cryptocurrency exchange. This really will have massive implications for crime and cybersecurity more generally. After the break, we have a double feature with a story about AI audio porn and then a likely low tech response to the ongoing deepfake crisis. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel tells us about how he investigated the Instagram ad to investment scam pipeline. Inside the Underground Site Where ‘Neural Networks’ Churn Out Fake IDs ‘Neural Network’ Fake ID Site Goes Dark After 404 Media Investigation AI-Generated Grandma Porn Is Flooding the Internet ‘DignifAI:’ 4chan Is Editing Pictures to Clothe Women Fake Bill Ackman and Jim Cramer Instagram Ads are Trying to Take My Money Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(I went in and fixed the audio issue! Please make sure your podcast client has the latest version downloaded. Okay, back to working on an investigation now, thank you for bearing with us) This week's episode is a banger. First, we go long with Sam and Emanuel, the two journalists who have followed deepfakes and generative AI more closely than anyone. Their latest piece talks about what is going to happen next: a clampdown in the AI and social media industries that may be an overcorrection, with impacts for everyone. Keeping with AI, Emanuel then explains how the founder of the extremism group The Base told his followers to use uncensored AI. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph talks about how an Iranian linked drug trafficker hired a member of the Hells Angel to carry out a hit on U.S. soil. Yes, that's the sentence. The Taylor Swift Deepfakes Disaster Threatens to Change the Internet As We Know It Founder of Neo-Nazi Group the Base Instructs Followers to Use 'Uncensored' AI Encrypted Phone ‘Sky’ Linked to Murder-for-Hire Plot in Maryland Subscribe at 404media.co for access to bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're doing something a little different this episode. For the whole free section of the podcast, we're talking all about the degradation of Google. That includes AI-generated articles making their way onto Google News, and how researchers found that, yes, Google search really is getting worse. This is a long, rich, and fun discussion. Then in the subscribers-only section, Joseph breaks down his latest investigation into a phone spying capability that is monitoring billions. Google (to their credit) cut-off a linked company in response to our inquiries.  Google News Is Boosting Garbage AI-Generated Articles Google Search Really Has Gotten Worse, Researchers Find Inside a Global Phone Spy Tool Monitoring Billions Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well, that was a pleasant surprise: Google has formally endorsed right to repair! Jason not only broke this news but then had a long conversation with Google about why it made the change (spoiler: it was the concerted effort of consumers, activists, and journalists). Jason explains why this change matters in the first part of the show. After the break, Sam takes us through a pretty unusual court case and what it means for online dating. Then in the subscribers-only section, Joseph talks about a new map we just published showing which local police departments and public agencies have invested in the AI surveillance platform Fusus. Is your police department one of them? Take a look. Google Formally Endorses Right to Repair, Will Lobby to Pass Repair Laws YouTube Commenters and the Grassroots Movement Pushed Google to Support Right to Repair Man Sues 27 Women After Facebook Users Call Him ‘Clingy’ and ‘Psycho’ Is Your Local Police Department Using Fusus AI-Enabled Cameras? Find Out Here Subscribe at 404media.co for access to the bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jason decided to publish our first story minutes before recording, so here is some hot off the presses material. That piece was about scam ads on YouTube involving deepfaked celebrities. After the break, Sam discussed a very bizarre FOIA response from Texas. Then in the subscribers-only section, Jason tells the long and very entertaining saga of the Polish hackers who fixed a bunch of trains, and faced legal threats in response. Deepfaked Celebrity Ads Promoting Medicare Scams Run Rampant on YouTube Texas Health Department Claims It Has Nothing to Do With Warnings on Porn From Texas Health Department Polish Hackers Say Manufacturer's Repair DRM Killed Train's Power, Broke Compressor Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are back for 2024! We hit the ground running this week with a story about charges against a man for allegedly orchestrating a massive, nationwide Airbnb scam. Then Sam speaks about how Pornhub is blocking access to visitors in North Carolina and Montana, who are now (predictably) using VPNs as a workaround. Then in the subscribers-only section we talk about the life and death of the encrypted app Wickr. RIP Wickr. Real Estate ‘Visionary’ Allegedly Behind Massive, Viral Airbnb Fraud Charge I Accidentally Uncovered a Nationwide Scam on Airbnb North Carolina and Montana Just Lost Access to Pornhub Wickr is Dead Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's show, we start with a couple of articles about how companies might *actually* be listening to conversations through smart device microphones to target ads. Plenty of questions remain, but we discuss everything we know so far. After the break, Sam explains a new Stanford study which has resulted in one of AI's most important datasets being taken offline (check the article itself for a clarification on Google's connection to the story which we learned after recording). In the subscribers-only section, Jason tells us how he dug into the wave of stolen, AI-generated art all over Facebook. Marketing Company Claims That It Actually Is Listening to Your Phone and Smart Speakers to Target Ads Company Brags About Using Smart Device Microphone Audio to Target Ads on Their Podcast Largest Dataset Powering AI Images Removed After Discovery of Child Sexual Abuse Material Facebook Is Being Overrun With Stolen, AI-Generated Images That People Think Are Real Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a big one. Sam got hold of a massive leak of internal Nvidia emails, Slack messages, and documents which show how the tech giant is scraping YouTube and Netflix for its own purposes. In the second half of the show, Jason peels back the curtain on who is behind the wave of AI spam on Facebook and how they're doing it; finally an answer after months of investigation. In the subscribers-only section, we talk DEF CON, our experiences at the conference, and give a little preview of something DEF CON-related for our paying subscribers coming soon. Leaked Documents Show Nvidia Scraping ‘A Human Lifetime’ of Videos Per Day to Train AI Where Facebook's AI Slop Comes From Hotel to Search Rooms During DEF CON Hacking Conference Subscribe for bonus content at 404media.co. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A really bizarre mystery this week. We broke the news that a man somehow flew into LAX without a ticket or passport and DHS is totally stumped. Who knows how he got there? No one, apparently. Then Sam breaks down the latest Patreon ban hammer against a misunderstood community. In the subscriber's only section, Joseph explains a massive mistake by Verizon potentially put a person's physical safety at risk, and what this means for why he doesn't use a phone. Civitai and OctoML Introduce Radical New Measures to Stop Abuse After 404 Media Investigation No Record of 'Russian Economist' Who Flew to LAX Without a Ticket, Didn't Remember How He Got Here ‘The Community Is Scrambling:’ Patreon Banned a Ton of 'Adult Baby/Diaper Lover' Furries Verizon Gave Phone Data to Armed Stalker Who Posed as Cop Over Email Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A content warning for the free section of this episode. Emanuel explains a massive investigation of his into how Civitai, the a16z funded AI platform, generated images that “could be categorized as child pornography,” according to internal Slack chats and more. This is a difficult, complicated, but important story. I'll leave it at that. Then in the subscriber's only section, we talk about Jason's investigation into pickleball turf wars. Remember to check out the video archive of our recent FOIA Forum too for more info on how Jason got thousands of documents for this story. a16z Funded AI Platform Generated Images That “Could Be Categorized as Child Pornography,” Leaked Documents Show 'FYI Pickleball DRAMA': Local Governments Overwhelmed By Tennis-Pickleball Turf Wars, Documents Show Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So much drama this episode but with an important message behind it all. For the first half, Sam and Jason break down their stories about Eduards Sizovs, a tech conference founder who listed a fake, "auto-generated" woman as a conference speaker. Sizovs is also behind a highly popular woman-in-tech account. There are layers here.  After the break, Jason explains how Plex is leaking users' viewing habits to one another. Then in the subscribers-only section, Joseph runs us through how an established figure in the sneaker world is connected to a Chinese money laundering ring. Tech Conference Collapses After Organizer Admits to Making Fake ‘Auto-Generated’ Female Speaker Male Tech Conference Founder Is Behind Popular Woman Coding Influencer Account Plex Users Fear New Feature Will Leak Porn Habits to Their Friends and Family Sneakers and Armored Cars: How a Shoe Company Empire Allegedly Used a Chinese Money Laundering Ring Subscribe for access to bonus content at 404media.co Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well that was a lot of drama in the world of OpenAI. Fear not, we have a unique angle on how the person in the running to be OpenAI's new CEO was a character in a Harry Potter fanfic that was written deliberately as a recruiting tool to the effective altruist movement. That's definitely a sentence. After the break Sam talks about how Twitter is pushing sex workers into a black hole, then in the subscribers-only section Joseph explains how he found that SIM swappers are gambling stolen Bitcoin at online casinos. New OpenAI CEO Was a Character in a Harry Potter Fanfic That's Wildly Popular With Effective Altruists Elon Musk Is Making His Advertising Crisis a Problem for Sex Workers Hackers Use Online Casinos to Gamble Mountains of Cash They Steal from Victims Subscribe at 404media.co for this podcast's bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We recorded this immediately after publishing some breaking news: we discovered that venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is funding Civitai, an AI marketplace we've repeatedly shown is an engine for nonconsensual AI porn. Just this week Emanuel reported Civitai had introduced a "bounty" system, that financially rewards people for making AI-models of specific targets. We talk about both stories in the first section of the podcast. Then after the break of this episode of "The Emanuel Maiberg Show," Emanuel talks about his deep investigation into working conditions in Labcorp, one of the biggest lab companies in the country, and how Amazon-like metrics may put patients at risk. Then in the subscribers-only section, Emanuel and Jason discuss their article on how the "brand safety" industry is stopping news websites from receiving vital funding. Giant AI Platform Introduces ‘Bounties’ for Deepfakes of Real People Andreessen Horowitz Invests in Civitai, Which Profits From Nonconsensual AI Porn ‘Literally Impossible:’ Labcorp Workers Say Productivity Goals Are Pushing Them to the Brink Advertisers Don’t Want Sites Like Jezebel to Exist Subscribe at 404media.co for this podcast's bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week goes in all sorts of directions. First, Joseph runs through his in-depth article on Fusus, a surveillance company that took over one small American town with AI-powered cameras. Now, they're everywhere, both in the U.S. and increasingly abroad. After the break, Sam tells us how attendees of an NFT conference got more than they bargained for, and ended up getting (temporarily) blinded (literally). In the subscribers-only section, Joseph and Jason discuss their just published piece about a refund fraud group that scammed $700,000 out of Amazon, and how these scams may impact delivery drivers on the ground. AI Cameras Took Over One Small American Town. Now They're Everywhere 'Couldn't See Anymore:' Bored Ape Conference Attendees Wake Up With Searing Eye Pain, Vision Loss How a 'Refund Fraud' Gang Stole $700,000 From Amazon Subscribe at 404media.co for this podcast's bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're shaking things up with a new format! As well as the two stories available to all listeners, we have a third discussion at the end which is only for paying subscribers. We explain why at the top of the show. As for this week's articles, first Emanuel explains how YouTube is making money off a livestream of an open air drug market. After the break, Jason and Emanuel discuss their two stories about Israel-Palestine and the lack of archiving efforts and freedom of information. In the subscriber's only section, Joseph breaks down a wild new marriage in cybercrime: English-speaking SIM swappers and Eastern European ransomware operators. YouTube Is Monetizing Human Suffering at an Open Air Drug Market Elon Musk Broke All the Tools Historians Need to Archive Tweets About Israel-Gaza War Netanyahu’s Government Is Trying to Suspend the Freedom of Information SIM Swappers Are Working Directly with Ransomware Gangs Now Subscribe at 404media.co for this podcast's bonus content. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For the first half of the show, we talk about a couple of stories around the Israel-Palestine conflict. First, Instagram "sincerely apologizes" to Sam for its auto-translations which added the word "terrorist" to sentences containing the word "Palestinian." Then, Joseph and Emanuel talk about their article about how verified Twitter accounts have taken the term "OSINT" and used it to spread their own garbage information. After the break, Joseph takes us through another story of his: a fascinating court record pulls back the curtain on a $30 million cash-for-Bitcoin ring that was operating right under everyone's noses in the heart of New York. Instagram ‘Sincerely Apologizes’ For Inserting ‘Terrorist’ Into Palestinian Bio Translations ‘Verified’ OSINT Accounts Are Destroying the Israel-Palestine Information Ecosystem Inside a $30 Million Cash-for-Bitcoin Laundering Ring in the Heart of New York 404 Media is primarily funded by paying subscribers. We are a journalist-owned company and need your support. Please subscribe at 404media.co to directly power our work and get an ad-free version of this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Content warning for the first half of the episode because it touches on violent themes. Emanuel takes us through how so-called AI detectors are, instead of clearing up the fog of misinformation around the Israel-Palestine conflict, may actually be making everything much worse. A crucial story for these ongoing events. Then after the break, we change gears and Jason explains a trademark dispute in the film photography community. Spoiler: everyone is mad. AI Images Detectors Are Being Used to Discredit the Real Horrors of War A Trademark Dispute Is Tearing the Tiny Film Photography Community Apart Demand for Travis Scott Creates Liquidity Crisis in Ticket Reselling Economy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is a fun one. First, Sam takes us through her story about generating images of SpongeBob and 9/11 with Bing's AI. Why? Because a bunch of people found a way to create similar images even though they shouldn't be possible under Microsoft's own policies. After the break, we turn into an economics podcast. Jason breaks down what exactly happened when a bunch of credit card maxers (people who try to gather as many credit card points as possible) over saturated the market for Travis Scott tickets. A fascinating, and hilarious, crisis emerged. Bing Is Generating Images of SpongeBob Doing 9/11 Low Demand for Travis Scott Creates Liquidity Crisis in Ticket Reselling Economy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special interview episode with Meredith Whittaker, the president of the Signal Foundation. I'm sure you all know, and maybe even use, the Signal messaging app. Here we sat down with Whittaker to talk all about the state of Signal today, the threat of AI to end-to-end encryption, what backdoors actually look like, and much more. This is a wide-ranging discussion where one of the few journalists who has revealed new details about backdoors (Joseph) gets to speak to one of the most important people in the world of encryption (Whittaker). Definitely take a listen. Paid subscribers got access to this episode early by the way. Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever Signal page on government data requests Microsoft Will Switch Off Recall by Default After Security Backlash Telegram CEO Pavel Durov interview Subscribe at 404media.co for early access and bonus content. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we start with a super interesting set of stories about how a small community has found a glitch in YouTube. It lets the group upload basically anything it wants to the platform with little fear of the clip being deleted. That includes explicit videos which were on YouTube for weeks at a time. Emanuel spoke to those responsible. After the break, Jason explains how he got emails showing that the LAPD wants a "partnership" with food delivery robots. The reason? These robots are constantly recording their surroundings. I Joined an Exclusive Club of YouTube Porn Hunters People Are Using a Glitch to Upload Porn to YouTube and YouTube Can’t Delete It Food Delivery Robots Are Feeding Camera Footage to the LAPD, Internal Emails Show Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holy moly that's a big ol' episode. Jason is back and tells us how ticket scalping actually works on a technical level, and how Ticketmaster benefits from scalping. Sam then explains how AI chatbots with no limits are letting people explore their sexuality safely (please note a content warning for that one for discussions on sexual themes and violence).  After the break, Joseph talks about a TikTok account that may be the next evolution in clout-chasing: an account that uses facial recognition tech to dox random people on the internet. Why Scalpers Can Get Olivia Rodrigo Tickets and You Can't DIY Chatbots Unleash Large Language Models’ Repressed Sexuality The End of Privacy is a Taylor Swift Fan TikTok Account Armed with Facial Recognition Tech Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode you won't hear Jason because he is out on location reporting from a right to repair conference in New Orleans! Before that, he was in Las Vegas reporting on the ongoing ransomware crisis impacting MGM casinos. But you will hear Joseph, Sam, and Emanuel discuss a tool that ICE has purchased which gives it access to data from a pregnancy tracking website. Then after the break, we talk about the latest update to an ongoing sex trafficking case Sam has been following for years, and Emanuel talks about why game developers he spoke to are up in arms about recent changes to the game engine Unity. iFixit Drastically and Retroactively Reduces ‘Repairability Score’ of the Current iPhone I Gambled in MGM's Hacked Casinos Inside ShadowDragon, The Tool That Lets ICE Monitor Pregnancy Tracking Sites and Fortnite Players Original ‘Girls Do Porn’ Actor and Owner of MomPOV.com Arrested on Felony Charges Girls Do Porn Actor and MomPOV.com Owner Indicted on Sex Trafficking Charges “This Is a Disaster:” Game Developers Scramble to Deal With Unity’s New Fees Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode Joseph, Jason, Emanuel and Sam first talk about something that sounds like a Harry Styles story, but it's actually an artificial intelligence one. We also play a few rounds of “Is That Audio Snippet an AI Generated Version of Harry Styles or Is It a Real Section of a Leaked Harry Styles Song?” After the break, Joseph runs us through a massive secret he revealed: the so-called “third country” that intercepted tens of millions of encrypted messages on behalf of the FBI. The Specter of AI-Generated 'Leaked Songs' Is Tearing the Harry Styles Fandom Apart Revealed: The Country that Secretly Wiretapped the World for the FBI For an ad-free version of this podcast and to access bonus episodes, become a subscriber at 404media.co. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices