The 404 Media Podcast
Hosted by Emanuel Maiberg, Jason Koebler, Joseph Cox & Samantha Cole · 22 decoded episodes · newest Oct 7, 2026
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes 22
- Oct 7, 2026 · 40 minGrayKey Reopens the Locked-iPhone Security DebateThe episode connects a potentially consequential phone-forensics capability with a broader argument about why speculative AI suffering can eclipse present human harms.
- Oct 6, 2026 · 1h 15m404 Media tests independent journalism against AI and data-center powerThe anniversary event examines how a reader-supported newsroom can grow, report deeply, and organize communities without making AI its operating model.
- Oct 5, 2026 · 39 minAI training puts publishers’ fragile business model on trialThe dispute over scraped content reaches beyond copyright, threatening the audience, data, and advertising systems that finance digital journalism.
- Sep 30, 2026 · 42 minFBI hack claims expose the risks of surveillance-by-networkThe episode connects an unverified breach claim to a more concrete concern: facial recognition could spread through police camera systems despite known risks.
- Sep 28, 2026 · 42 minFacial recognition escapes the lab and enters everyday lifeAs face-search tools move from police and corporations to ordinary users and wearable devices, consent and contextual privacy become harder to protect.
- Sep 23, 2026 · 46 minAI companies knew search could drain news trafficThe episode connects private acknowledgments about copyright and publisher losses to a separate weakness that lets synthetic music reach real artists’ audiences.
- Sep 21, 2026 · 50 minTurkle warns AI companionship could erode human connectionAs chatbots move into roles once reserved for friends, therapists, and lovers, the episode asks what human capacities society risks outsourcing.
- Sep 18, 2026 · 52 minPrivate surveillance turns AI into an enforcement toolThe episode shows how companies and government agencies are deploying surveillance and militarized AI now, often beyond meaningful public oversight.
- Sep 16, 2026 · 50 minChatGPT reviewers expose a privacy gap as Automattic faces turmoilThe episode connects opaque human access to AI conversations with weak user control, then examines the governance crisis surrounding Automattic and Matt Mullenweg.
- Sep 14, 2026 · 1h 2mDigital vendors are reshaping what libraries can offerThe episode shows how licensing, DRM, AI-generated material, and database restrictions can turn public digital access into a fragile, privately controlled system.
- Sep 9, 2026 · 43 minDHS data unit turns personal records into police leadsThe episode examines how opaque federal intelligence practices can convert financial and personal data into local traffic stops with limited public visibility.
- Sep 7, 2026 · 37 minFlock data sent an innocent woman to jailThe case shows how automated vehicle surveillance can turn a vague lead into a life-altering prosecution when investigators ignore contradictory evidence.