Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Is This Headline 'Clickbait'?
This week, we discuss conversational AI, a behind the scenes of the zine, and more.
age verification
Wyoming and South Dakota Age Verification Laws Could Include Huge Parts of the Internet
By omitting the "one-third" provision that most other states with age verification laws have adopted, Wyoming and South Dakota are placing the burden of verifying users' ages on all sorts of websites, far beyond porn.
Podcast
Podcast: Why Are DHS Agents Wearing Meta Ray-Bans?
CBP's use of Meta Ray-Bans; the bargain that voice actors are having to make with AI; and how Flock tech is being essentially hacked into by the DEA.
FOIA
LAPD Eyes ‘GeoSpy’, an AI Tool That Can Geolocate Photos in Seconds
Emails obtained by 404 Media show the LAPD was interested in GeoSpy, an AI tool that can quickly figure out where a photo was taken.
News
UK Asks People to Delete Emails In Order to Save Water During Drought
As Britain experiences one of its worst droughts in decades, its leaders suggest people get rid of old data to reduce stress on data centers.
Flock
Feds Used Local Cop's Password to Do Immigration Surveillance With Flock Cameras
A DEA agent used a local cop's password "for federal investigations in late January 2025 without [the cop's] knowledge of said use."
party
You're Invited: 404 Media's Second Anniversary Party and LIVE PODCAST!
Come celebrate with us and catch a LIVE recording of the 404 Media podcast.
AI
Voiceover Artists Weigh the 'Faustian Bargain' of Lending Their Talents to AI
The human voiceover artists behind AI voices are grappling with the choice to embrace the gigs and earn a living, or pass on potentially life-changing opportunities from Big Tech.
military
The U.S. Army Is Testing AI Controlled Ground Drones Near a Border with Russia
The OverDrive is made to let ground vehicles navigate tough terrain with minimal input from humans.
The Abstract
Billions of Sea Stars Mysteriously Turned to Goo. Now We Know Why.
Scientists have discovered the culprit behind sea star wasting disease, the most devastating marine epidemic on record.
Behind The Blog
Behind the Blog: Speculation, Distraction, and Smart Glasses
This week, we discuss Wikipedia's ethos and zooming in on a lot of pictures of cops' glasses.
News
Guy Gives Himself 19th Century Psychiatric Illness After Consulting With ChatGPT
"For 3 months, he had replaced sodium chloride with sodium bromide obtained from the internet after consultation with ChatGPT."
Impact
Congress Launches Investigation into Flock After 404 Media Reporting
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi's office said this was “a formal investigation into Flock Group Inc. over its role in enabling invasive surveillance practices that threaten the privacy, safety, and civil liberties of women, immigrants, and other vulnerable Americans.”