The 404 Media Podcast
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.
13 episodes
Episodes
The 404 Media Podcast
AI companies knew search could drain news traffic
The episode connects private acknowledgments about copyright and publisher losses to a separate weakness that lets synthetic music reach real artists’ audiences.
Sep 23, 2026 · 46 min
The 404 Media Podcast
Turkle warns AI companionship could erode human connection
As chatbots move into roles once reserved for friends, therapists, and lovers, the episode asks what human capacities society risks outsourcing.
Sep 21, 2026 · 50 min
The 404 Media Podcast
Private surveillance turns AI into an enforcement tool
The episode shows how companies and government agencies are deploying surveillance and militarized AI now, often beyond meaningful public oversight.
Sep 18, 2026 · 52 min
The 404 Media Podcast
ChatGPT reviewers expose a privacy gap as Automattic faces turmoil
The episode connects opaque human access to AI conversations with weak user control, then examines the governance crisis surrounding Automattic and Matt Mullenweg.
Sep 16, 2026 · 50 min
The 404 Media Podcast
Digital vendors are reshaping what libraries can offer
The episode shows how licensing, DRM, AI-generated material, and database restrictions can turn public digital access into a fragile, privately controlled system.
Sep 14, 2026 · 1h 2m
The 404 Media Podcast
DHS data unit turns personal records into police leads
The episode examines how opaque federal intelligence practices can convert financial and personal data into local traffic stops with limited public visibility.
Sep 9, 2026 · 43 min
The 404 Media Podcast
Flock data sent an innocent woman to jail
The case shows how automated vehicle surveillance can turn a vague lead into a life-altering prosecution when investigators ignore contradictory evidence.
Sep 7, 2026 · 37 min
The 404 Media Podcast
Amazon’s book destruction exposes AI’s hidden supply chain
The episode connects the physical waste of AI training with a quieter threat: synthetic research entering scholarly databases and feeding future models.
Sep 2, 2026 · 41 min
The 404 Media Podcast
Cyber sleuths trace sextortion from online bait to Nigeria
The investigation shows how sextortion networks operate, why tracing them is dangerous, and where platforms and law enforcement can intervene.
Aug 31, 2026 · 42 min
The 404 Media Podcast
A fake surveillance camera tests the limits of police stings
The case exposes unresolved questions about property damage, public records, and how far police can go to defend surveillance systems.
Aug 26, 2026 · 33 min
The 404 Media Podcast
AI companions offer comfort without reciprocity
The episode examines why people turn to chatbots for intimacy and grief support, while exposing the care gaps and data risks behind that appeal.
Aug 24, 2026 · 47 min
The 404 Media Podcast
Amazon’s book pipeline raises hard questions for AI
The episode connects physical book destruction, legal manipulation, and platform surveillance to the unresolved costs of AI development.
Aug 19, 2026 · 53 min
The 404 Media Podcast
Deepfakes expose the limits of online trust
Synthetic media now enables fraud, reputational attacks, and non-consensual sexual imagery faster than individuals can reliably detect or contest it.
Aug 17, 2026 · 46 min