We start this week's episode with our massive story on TeleMessage, the Signal clone the Trump administration uses to archive messages which was hacked. We have more detail than anyone else on that story. After the break, Jason tells us about another hack, this time GlobalX Air, one of the airlines used by ICE for deportation flights. In the subscribers-only section, Sam and Emanuel tell us about the shut down of Mr. Deepfakes, and what the lasting legacy of the site will be.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/J__qWnFJZgA
The Signal Clone the Trump Admin Uses Was Hacked
Senator Demands Investigation into Trump Admin Signal Clone After 404 Media Investigation
GlobalX, Airline for Trump’s Deportations, Hacked
Mr. Deepfakes, the Biggest Deepfake Porn Site on the Internet, Says It’s Shutting Down for Good
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47:02
Meta's AI Chatbots Are a Disaster
This week we start with Sam's very in-depth story on Meta's AI chatbots, and how they're essentially posing as licensed therapists. After the break, Jason breaks down the wildly unethical AI-powered research that took place on Reddit. In the subscribers-only section, Joseph explains how the age of realtime deepfake fraud is here after he got a bunch of videos showing scammers do their thing.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/H5380M-hnJ4
Instagram's AI Chatbots Lie About Being Licensed Therapists
Researchers Secretly Ran a Massive, Unauthorized AI Persuasion Experiment on Reddit Users
Reddit Issuing 'Formal Legal Demands' Against Researchers Who Conducted Secret AI Experiment on Users
The Age of Realtime Deepfake Fraud Is Here
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54:56
Cops Are Using AI Bots to Surveil People
We start this week with Emanuel and Jason's big story on Massive Blue, a company that is selling AI-powered undercover bots posing as protesters and children to the cops. After the break, Sam tells us about visiting the millennial saint. In the subscribers-only section, we talk business and the state of 404 Media.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/E98i9OFJbW4
Leaked: Palantir’s Plan to Help ICE Deport People
ICE Plans Central Database of Health, Labor, Housing Agency Data to Find Targets
This ‘College Protester’ Isn’t Real. It’s an AI-Powered Undercover Bot for Cops
I Went to See ‘God’s Influencer,’ the Millennial Saint Carlo Acutis
How 404 Media Is Navigating 'Economic Headwinds'
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54:19
AI Slop Is Breaking the Internet as We Know It (Live at SXSW)
Jason, Sam, and Blood in the Machine's Brian Merchant discuss how AI slop has taken over the internet, how it is a brute-force attack against the algorithms that control what we see on social media, and what we can do to fight back against it. This panel was held at Speakeasy in Austin, Texas at SXSW on March 10, 2025. Thanks to our friends at Flipboard for giving us the space and to DeleteMe for sponsoring the event.
Use code "404Media" for 20% off an annual plan of DeleteMe: https://www.404media.co/r/5d94373c?m=e247fe06-53d6-4c05-9484-be3684d4f655
Find Brian's work at Blood in the Machine: https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/
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59:54
Inside the ICE Deportation Tool
This week we start with a couple of Jason and Joseph's stories about the tool ICE uses to lookup an incredible amount of information about people. After the break, Joseph explains how he tested an AI service that calls your parents in case you can't be bothered. In the subscribers-only section, our new regular contributor Matthew Gault tells us all about the hack of 4chan and how we got here.
YouTube version: https://youtu.be/gFmvCvvaB4k
Inside a Powerful Database ICE Uses to Identify and Deport People
I Tested The AI That Calls Your Elderly Parents If You Can't Be Bothered
4chan Is Down Following What Looks to Be a Major Hack Spurred By Meme War
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Welcome to the podcast from 404 Media where Joseph, Sam, Emanuel, and Jason catch you up on the stories we published this week. 404 Media is a journalist-owned digital media company exploring the way technology is shaping–and is shaped by–our world. We bring you unparalleled access to hidden worlds both online and IRL through investigative reporting, smart blogging, and breaking news. At 404 Media you’ll read, and hear, stories you can’t find anywhere else written by journalists who are leading experts on their beats. Subscribe to 404 Media at 404media.co to gain access to an ad-free version of this podcast, as well as a bonus podcast episodes. Subscribers are the bedrock of building a sustainable business for our journalism.
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