News
'Untouchable': Associates React to Arrest of Drug Trafficker Turned 'Encryption King'
Hakan Ayik, who unknowingly popularized the FBI's backdoored encrypted phone called Anom, has been a most wanted criminal for years. Finally authorities arrested him last week.
FOIA
AI Cameras Took Over One Small American Town. Now They're Everywhere
Hundreds of documents obtained by 404 Media show how Fusus, a system for linking a town’s security cameras into one central hub and adding AI to them, has spread across the country.
Podcast
Podcast: We're shaking it up with a new format
We're introducing a subscribers-only segment to the weekly podcast, where we talk about even more stuff we've published.
News
Instagram Removes Account That Unmasked ‘Jew Haters’
For the last several days, an Instagram account has been unmasking people it claimed were “jew haters,” many of whom appeared to pull down posters showing Hamas’ kidnapping victims.
News
SIM Swappers Are Working Directly with Ransomware Gangs Now
Hackers connected to “the Comm,” a nebulous group that includes SIM swappers, are working with ALPHV, a ransomware group that has impacted some of the biggest companies on the planet, including MGM Casinos.
News
The Truth Behind ‘GiantCockNYC’
Someone on Grindr presented themselves as an employee that could remove blocks on the platform. That’s probably not the case, but the activity still hints at a moderation problem.
Podcast
Podcast: OSINT, Twitter, and a $30 Million Bitcoin Ring
In this week's episode we talk about how Instagram is very, very sorry it auto-translated sentences containing "Palestinian" to add "terrorist." We also talk about the downward trend of OSINT on Twitter, and how the FBI cracked an alleged $30 million cash-for-Bitcoin ring.
FOIA
Inside ICE’s Database for Finding ‘Derogatory’ Online Speech
Thumbs up, or thumbs down: that's the option presented to analysts when the tool Giant Oak Search Technology surfaces content from social media and other sources for ICE to scrutinize.
News
Inside a $30 Million Cash-for-Bitcoin Laundering Ring in the Heart of New York
Court records provide rare insight into an alleged IRL criminal Bitcoin exchange involving men dropping massive bags of cash to one another.
News
Hackers Target Company That Vets Police Data Requests for Tech Giants
Kodex acts as a buffer between law enforcement and tech giants to verify requests for customer data. Now hackers have pivoted to Kodex as a target in its own right. Screenshots show Meta, LinkedIn, Discord, Snapchat, Roblox, and more on a request creation dashboard.
News
‘Verified’ OSINT Accounts Are Destroying the Israel-Palestine Information Ecosystem
The problem with profit and engagement driven misinformation from pseudo-OSINT accounts during the Israel-Palestine conflict is "unprecedented." One expert said after Musk's recent changes "all hell broke loose."
Podcast
Podcast: AI is Muddying the Horrors of War, and a Film Community Implodes
In this week's episode we talk about how AI image detectors are making things worse in the Israel-Palestine conflict, and how a community of film photographers is dealing with a trademark issue.