News
We Don’t Want Your Password
Some people don't love our magic link logins. But the best way for us to protect your password is to never ask for it.
News
Secret Service Admits It Didn’t Check if People Really Consented to Being Tracked
Emails viewed by 404 Media show that the Secret Service did not verify that location data it was tracking people with was actually collected with consent, despite saying so.
Podcast
Podcast: Why We Cover AI the Way We Do
Here's a holiday gift: an episode that was previously only available to paying subscribers. Make sure to sign up for tons more bonus content like this.
News
Government to Name ‘Key Witness’ Who Provided FBI With Backdoored Encrypted Chat App Anom
A lawyer has pushed to learn the identity of the person who first created Anom, which the FBI used to read tens of millions of messages sent by organized criminals. The confidential human source may testify in court, too.
Podcast
Podcast: The New Jersey Drone Panic
What is probably happening with all those drone sightings; Cellebrite used as a doorway to malware; and an art project and a cease and desist.
News
DHS Says China, Russia, Iran, and Israel Are Spying on People in US with SS7
The Department of Homeland Security knows which countries SS7 attacks are primarily originating from. Others include countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
News
Cellebrite Unlocked This Journalist’s Phone. Cops Then Infected it With Malware
A new report from Amnesty International reveals multiple cases where Serbian authorities used Cellebrite devices to access targets' mobile phones before loading them with spyware.
Podcast
Podcast: 3D Printed Guns and UnitedHealthcare
This week we talk about the weapon used by the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO murderer; the sad state of OSINT after a suspect's name is released; how health insurance companies have tried to scrub leadership from the web; moderation challenges on Reddit; and deepfake apps.
News
Location Data Firm Offers to Help Cops Track Targets via Doctor Visits
Fog Data Science is a location tracking company that takes data harvested from smartphones and makes it accessible to cops. A document obtained by 404 Media shows the company explicitly says it will use doctors visits to unmask a target if needed.
News
UnitedHealthcare Shooting Person of Interest Had 3D Printed Glock
In what might be the first assassination in the United States using a 3D printed weapon, multiple people told 404 Media an image of the weapon found on the person of interest in the shooting of the UnitedHealthcare CEO looks like a specific design of 3D printed Glock.
Announcements
404 Media Objects to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Subpoena to Access Our Reporting
404 Media's reporting on an internal Google privacy violation database has been subpoenaed by the State of Texas. We are fighting it.
Podcast
Podcast: Your Bluesky Posts Are Probably Training AI
We talk about the big datasets of Bluesky posts being offered to AI; how people are breaking into Redbox systems; and how the U.S. government is clamping down on data brokers.