404 Media

404 Media is a digital media platform created by journalists dedicated to examining how technology influences our lives and how we, in turn, influence technology. Our content includes in-depth investigative articles, detailed features, insightful blogs, and exclusive stories covering a variety of subjects such as hacking, cybersecurity, cybercrime, sexuality, artificial intelligence, consumer rights, surveillance, privacy, and the democratization of the internet.

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Behind the Blog: Activism and Evangelism

1 day ago | 404media.co | Joseph Cox

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss the phrase "activist reporter," waiting in line for a Switch 2, and teledildonics. JOSEPH: Recently our work on Flock, the automatic license plate reader (ALPR) company, produced some concrete impact.
TSA Working on Haptic Tech To 'Feel' Your Body in Virtual Reality

2 days ago | 404media.co | Jason Koebler

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) are researching an incredibly wild virtual reality technology that would allow TSA agents to use VR goggles and haptic feedback gloves to allow them to pat down and feel airline passengers at security checkpoints without actually touching them.
Apple Gave Governments Data on Thousands of Push Notifications

3 days ago | 404media.co | Joseph Cox

Apple provided governments around the world with data related to thousands of push notifications sent to its devices, which can identify a target’s specific device or in some cases include unencrypted content like the actual text displayed in the notification, according to data published by Apple. In one case, that Apple did not ultimately provide data for, Israel demanded data related to nearly 700 push notifications as part of a single request.
The IRS Tax Filing Software TurboTax Is Trying to Kill Just Got Open Sourced

3 days ago | 404media.co | Jason Koebler

The IRS open sourced much of its incredibly popular Direct File software as the future of the free tax filing program is at risk of being killed by Intuit’s lobbyists and Donald Trump’s megabill. Meanwhile, several top developers who worked on the software have left the government and joined a project to explore the “future of tax filing” in the private sector.
Podcast: Anti-Porn Laws' Real Target Is Free Speech

3 days ago | 404media.co | Joseph Cox

We start this week with Sam's dive into a looming piece of anti-porn legislation, prudish algorithms, and eggs. After the break, Matthew tells us about the open source software that powered Ukraine's drone attack against Russia. In the subscribers-only section, Emanuel explains how even pro-AI subreddits are dealing with people having AI delusions. Listen to the weekly podcast on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, or YouTube.
The Egg Yolk Principle: Human Sexuality Will Always Outsmart Prudish Algorithms and Hateful Politicians

4 days ago | 404media.co | Samantha Cole

A metal fork drags its four prongs back and forth across the yolk of an over-easy egg. The lightly peppered fried whites that skin across the runny yolk give a little, straining under the weight of the prongs. The yolk bulges and puckers, and finally the fork flips to its sharp points, bears down on the yolk and rips it open, revealing the thick, bright cadmium-yellow liquid underneath.
The Entire Earth was Mysteriously Shaking Every 90 Seconds. Now, Scientists Know Why

4 days ago | 404media.co | Becky Ferreira

🌘Subscribe to 404 Media to get The Abstract, our newsletter about the most exciting and mind-boggling science news and studies of the week. For nine days in September 2023, the world was rocked by mysterious seismic waves that were detected globally every 90 seconds. Earth trembled again the following month with an identical global signal, though it was shorter and less intense.
Teachers Are Not OK

5 days ago | 404media.co | Jason Koebler

Last month, I wrote an article about how schools were not prepared for ChatGPT and other generative AI tools, based on thousands of pages of public records I obtained from when ChatGPT was first released. As part of that article, I asked teachers to tell me how AI has changed how they teach. The response from teachers and university professors was overwhelming.
Weird Signals from Space Are ‘Unlike Any Known Galactic Object’

1 week ago | 404media.co | Becky Ferreira

Welcome back to the Abstract! This week, scientists accidentally discovered a weird thing in space that is like nothing we have ever seen before. This happens a lot, yet never seems to get old. Then, a shark banquet, the Ladies Anuran Choir, and yet another reason to side-eye shiftwork. Last, a story about the importance of finishing touches for all life on Earth (and elsewhere). Dead Stars Still Get HypedWang, Ziteng et al.
Flock Decides Not to Use Hacked Data in People Search Tool

1 week ago | 404media.co | Joseph Cox

The surveillance company Flock told employees at an all-hands meeting Friday that its new people search product, Nova, will not include hacked data from the dark web. The announcement comes a little over a week after 404 Media broke the news about internal tension at the company about plans to use breached data, including from a 2021 Park Mobile data break.