Sam Cole
@samleecole.bsky.social
journalist / co-founder @404media.co signal: sam.404 (sensitive comms) sam@404media.co (everything else) complain about the paywall, catch a block
the organizations in support of the SCREEN Act say everything you need to know about Mike Lee's latest gambit: www.404media.co/what-is-the-...
The SCREEN Act is a Christian Nationalist Nightmare
Mike Lee's SCREEN Act, which heads to Senate Commerce Committee for markup on Wednesday, would expand age verification requirements to a nearly limitless scope of websites, and is supported by the arc...
404media.co
New: Police are being told to hide the fact that they're using Flock to pull people over and arrest them in both encounters with citizens but ALSO in their official police reports: www.404media.co/do-not-menti...
‘DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE’: How Cops Are Trying to Hide Their Use of Flock
“DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE IN YOUR REPORT OR COMPLAINT."
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Exclusive: We obtained a leaked playbook that Flock gives to cops to coach them on "how to speak to city council" to avoid getting their contracts canceled. Includes strategies like "own the narrative" by talking to mayor "before public comment periods" www.404media.co/own-the-narr...
‘Own the Narrative’: Leaked Flock Guide Shows How It Teaches Cops to Promote Its Tech
"This document shows a coordinated effort from Flock Safety to compel law enforcement agencies to convince our elected leaders to represent their interests as a company rather than the interests of co...
404media.co
a bunch of popular ASMR artists lost their channels forever this week, after YouTube cited them for violating terms against "sexually gratifying" content: www.404media.co/youtube-asmr...
YouTube Bans Popular ASMR Artists, Accusing Them of Making 'Sexually Gratifying' Content
YouTube told ASMR artists including Bunnii, Slight Sounds, Rose, and others that their content broke the platform's sex and nudity policy. Creators say these bans are unfair and potentially life-alter...
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New from 404 Media: Google Earth has introduced an AI feature that lets anyone fabricate completely bullshit satellite images. In our own tests, we added a “bomb blast and crater” to an area of Los Angeles. This is a misinformation time bomb, will 100% be abused www.404media.co/google-earth...
A company offering printed books to AI companies to train on because they’re free of AI slop has stopped after our reporting. Thanks to 404 Media subscribers, we’re able to continue reporting stories that bring real life impact. Read now: www.404media.co/ai-company-t...
NEW: after our coverage of this company's little scheme to use printed books to train AI, it calls it a "test of the market" and walked the entire thing back: www.404media.co/ai-company-t...
Company Offering Printed Books to Train AI Stops After 404 Media Coverage
Citing backlash, ISBNdb removed its webpages about training AI, denied ever buying, scanning, or selling a book for AI training, and said the site was a "test of market interest."
404media.co
This is happening in just over 30 minutes!!! At 1PM ET We're going to show you how to pry records from the government. This one is especially focused on city councils. Subscribers get the link here: www.404media.co/our-new-foia... Not a sub? Sign up now to get in
Our New FOIA Forum! 7/30, 1PM ET
Join us for our latest FOIA Forum where we teach you how to pry records from the government.
404media.co
the great irony of LinkedIn being the world's #1 workslop platform now asking users to moderate the slop themselves www.404media.co/linkedin-int...
LinkedIn Introduces a 'Seems Like AI Slop' Button
Following 404 Media's reporting on how LinkedIn is full of AI slop, the platform is giving users a chance to report it when they see it.
404media.co
I spoke with Lux, the high school teacher arrested for clapping at a data center zoning meeting in Kansas. some very interesting twists and turns in this one
“Clapping Is a First Amendment Right:” An Interview With the Person Arrested for Clapping at a Data Center Meeting
"I have a right to speak. I'm here to speak. I have a right to clap, and if you want me out, you're going to have to drag me out."
404media.co
the more I look into data centers, the more I find a couple of issues that drive me insane. just basic physics-style issues. the power generation problem is one of them
Data Centers Are Easy to Build. Powering Them Is Complicated, Slow, and Expensive
A new AI data center can be up and running in a year. Building new energy infrastructure to power it could take a decade.
404media.co
New: I spoke to Samuel Tunick, the man the U.S. is charging with allegedly wiping his GrapheneOS phone before CBP could search it. “I hope people understand that the charges against me are meant to intimidate people against protecting their data and their privacy.” www.404media.co/the-governme...
‘The Government Hopes To Set a Precedent’: An Interview With the Man Charged for Allegedly Wiping His GrapheneOS Phone
The U.S. government has charged Samuel Tunick with allegedly typing in a passcode to wipe his phone before officers could search it. “I hope people understand that the charges against me are meant to ...
404media.co
a Casa Grande, Arizona resident's statements to his city council opposing Flock went viral this week; I talked to him about why he presented his "plan" to surveil all government officials, and how he feels about seeing the moment all over the internet www.404media.co/casa-grande-...
'I Would Never Do This To You:' Protesting Flock, Arizona Man Presents Plan to Surveil Government Officials
“They didn't understand it was satire in the beginning until the end,” Casa Grande, Arizona resident Jacob Petrosky told 404 Media. “They were not happy, they were very upset.”
404media.co
Substack introduced a feature to detect AI generated writing on its platform. That makes some people really really mad! www.404media.co/substackers-...
Substackers Say New AI Detection Tool Is a ‘Witch Hunt’
“I’m not going to apologize for using AI in the creation process.”
404media.co
my city councilman told me cops keep stalking his constituents so I asked how many flock cameras he has and he said he just goes to the police department and gets a new contract afterwards so I said it sounds like he’s just feeding constituents to flock cameras and then his daughter started crying.
Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · last wk.“A Sumter County Sheriff’s Office detective reportedly used three separate law-enforcement databases — not to solve cases, but to monitor her husband’s ex-wife.”
Tons of peoples' Claude chats are exposed on Google. Cryptocurrency keys, API keys, login credentials, legal discussions, more. This happened with ChatGPT last year. And Claude too. There's clearly an ongoing issue with search engines indexing peoples' AI chats www.404media.co/tons-of-peop...
Tons of Peoples’ Claude Chats and Creations are Exposed on Google
Claude users are creating public share links, but probably don't realize that means their chats are now ending up in Google searches where anyone can dig through them.
404media.co
i went to a Luddite festival in NYC that was organized entirely off social media to prove you don’t need captive tech platforms (yes, including this one!) to hang out and have a good time. @404media.co 📵
Being a Luddite Is Fun Again
As tech backlash hits the mainstream, the ‘Summer of Ludd’ proves we don’t need social media to hang out and have a good time.
404media.co
Updated with Flock comment: Flock has walked back this feature www.404media.co/flocks-ceo-s...
Flock's CEO Says its ALPRs Don't Do Video After Repeatedly Announcing They Can
Flock's CEO Garrett Langley says people don't understand the capabilities of its ALPR system, but they do.
404media.co
in one week! learn how to file effective requests that get docs back in our next FOIA FORUM: www.404media.co/our-new-foia... we offer these workshops to 404 Media subscribers at the Supporter level; if you're not yet a Supporter, upgrade your membership to get access: www.404media.co/membership/
Membership
404 Media is an independent media company founded by technology journalists Jason Koebler, Emanuel Maiberg, Samantha Cole, and Joseph Cox.
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working on a new project for @aftermath.site: a semi-comprehensive, regularly-updated list of every game studio that refuses to use AI. if that sounds like your studio, message me with the reason(s) why as well as basic details about what you make. DMs open and email is nathan@aftermath.site
ty for reminding me to get MADDER www.404media.co/whats-the-di...
What’s the Difference Between AI Glasses and an iPhone? A Helpful Guide for Meta PR
Meta thinks its camera glasses, which are often used for harassment, are no different than any other camera.
404media.co
Scooter@scooterrific.me · 2w ago"Would you write this story if it was being filmed with an iPhone?"
fuck these things and fuck meta for being supremely late to a harm after it's already spread, as usual www.businessinsider.com/instagram-me...
in an email to staff this morning, Conte wrote that he both doesn't believe AI replaces human creativity... but does see it as changing the way tech companies, including his own, operate day to day: www.404media.co/patreon-lays...
Patreon Lays Off 20 Percent of Its Workforce
In an internal email shared with creators, CEO Jack Conte wrote that AI doesn’t replace human creativity — but it does affect how the company operates.
404media.co
Next week we'll teach 404 Media subscribers how to pry records from the government. It's a new FOIA Forum, a livestream where we show you in realtime how to get all sorts of docs. Details: www.404media.co/our-new-foia... Not a subcriber? Become one here to access: 404media.co/membership
Our New FOIA Forum! 7/30, 1PM ET
Join us for our latest FOIA Forum where we teach you how to pry records from the government.
404media.co
had a bad time at a city council meeting last night. I live in a town of 12,000 people. They just voted to install 22 Flock cameras, bringing the total to 33. That's 1 Flock camera per 300 residents. It's more Flock cameras than police officers
What Happened When Flock Came to My Town
My small town in South Carolina will soon have more Flock cameras than police officers.
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