Jason Koebler
@jasonkoebler.bsky.social
Journalist @404Media.co
Signal: jason.404 // email: jason@404media.co
Signal: jason.404 // email: jason@404media.co
Belarus has arrested several HAM radio hobbyists and is threatening them with the death penalty, extremely wild situation: www.404media.co/ham-radio-op...
HAM Radio Operators in Belarus Arrested, Face the Death Penalty
"My local community is being systematically liquidated in what I can only describe as a targeted intellectual genocide."
www.404media.co
January 21, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Belarus has arrested several HAM radio hobbyists and is threatening them with the death penalty, extremely wild situation: www.404media.co/ham-radio-op...
this is a very good feature about how one town in China fully reoriented itself to become the dominant crystal supplier in the world. a microcosm of why china is so good at manufacturing things & has become the leader in cornering all sorts of niche markets:
www.wired.com/story/china-...
www.wired.com/story/china-...
How China’s ‘Crystal Capital’ Cornered the Market on a Western Obsession
Decades ago, Donghai was a backwater county. Today, thanks to an army of 24/7 livestreamers, it orchestrates a multibillion-dollar global industry.
www.wired.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:00 PM
this is a very good feature about how one town in China fully reoriented itself to become the dominant crystal supplier in the world. a microcosm of why china is so good at manufacturing things & has become the leader in cornering all sorts of niche markets:
www.wired.com/story/china-...
www.wired.com/story/china-...
Reposted by Jason Koebler
One of the first things anyone learns about facial recognition is that it is often wrong and that it is biased. And yet ICE is using it all day every day to determine legal status & who to detain. And now we have a high-profile example of it being flat out wrong:
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice
In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said th...
www.404media.co
January 19, 2026 at 3:55 PM
One of the first things anyone learns about facial recognition is that it is often wrong and that it is biased. And yet ICE is using it all day every day to determine legal status & who to detain. And now we have a high-profile example of it being flat out wrong:
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
extremely broad and alarming drone no fly zone designed to protect ICE agents just dropped. notable in part because some folks have used drones to film law enforcement abuses:
www.404media.co/feds-create-...
www.404media.co/feds-create-...
Feds Create Drone No Fly Zone That Would Stop People Filming ICE
The FAA has altered a no fly zone designation that was originally created for US military bases to apply to DHS units.
www.404media.co
January 20, 2026 at 2:56 PM
extremely broad and alarming drone no fly zone designed to protect ICE agents just dropped. notable in part because some folks have used drones to film law enforcement abuses:
www.404media.co/feds-create-...
www.404media.co/feds-create-...
Reposted by Jason Koebler
Decades ago, Donghai was a backwater county. Today, thanks to an army of 24/7 livestreamers, it orchestrates a multibillion-dollar global industry. www.wired.com/story/china-...
How China’s ‘Crystal Capital’ Cornered the Market on a Western Obsession
Decades ago, Donghai was a backwater county. Today, thanks to an army of 24/7 livestreamers, it orchestrates a multibillion-dollar global industry.
www.wired.com
January 20, 2026 at 11:02 AM
Decades ago, Donghai was a backwater county. Today, thanks to an army of 24/7 livestreamers, it orchestrates a multibillion-dollar global industry. www.wired.com/story/china-...
Reposted by Jason Koebler
New from 404 Media: ICE's facial recognition app, which the agency is using to decide who to detain and deport, misidentified a woman. Twice.
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice
In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said th...
www.404media.co
January 19, 2026 at 2:31 PM
New from 404 Media: ICE's facial recognition app, which the agency is using to decide who to detain and deport, misidentified a woman. Twice.
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE says results of the app are definitive and override a birth certificate; obviously this case shows the app is inaccurate
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
One of the first things anyone learns about facial recognition is that it is often wrong and that it is biased. And yet ICE is using it all day every day to determine legal status & who to detain. And now we have a high-profile example of it being flat out wrong:
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
ICE’s Facial Recognition App Misidentified a Woman. Twice
In testimony from a CBP official obtained by 404 Media, the official described how Mobile Fortify returned two different names after scanning a woman's face during an immigration raid. ICE has said th...
www.404media.co
January 19, 2026 at 3:55 PM
One of the first things anyone learns about facial recognition is that it is often wrong and that it is biased. And yet ICE is using it all day every day to determine legal status & who to detain. And now we have a high-profile example of it being flat out wrong:
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
www.404media.co/ices-facial-...
very good piece on "chinamaxxing:"
"Aren't you scrolling on this Chinese app, probably on a Chinese made phone, wearing clothes that are made in China, collecting dolls that are from China?"
www.wired.com/story/made-i...
"Aren't you scrolling on this Chinese app, probably on a Chinese made phone, wearing clothes that are made in China, collecting dolls that are from China?"
www.wired.com/story/made-i...
Why Everyone Is Suddenly in a ‘Very Chinese Time’ in Their Lives
The viral meme isn’t really about China or actual Chinese people. It's a symbol of what Americans believe their own country has lost.
www.wired.com
January 16, 2026 at 5:30 PM
very good piece on "chinamaxxing:"
"Aren't you scrolling on this Chinese app, probably on a Chinese made phone, wearing clothes that are made in China, collecting dolls that are from China?"
www.wired.com/story/made-i...
"Aren't you scrolling on this Chinese app, probably on a Chinese made phone, wearing clothes that are made in China, collecting dolls that are from China?"
www.wired.com/story/made-i...
i used to think kyle tucker was a monster but his second half was rouuughhhhh and the vibes were also very weird? i have trouble seeing him as a $60 million/yr player, or anywhere close
January 16, 2026 at 5:50 AM
i used to think kyle tucker was a monster but his second half was rouuughhhhh and the vibes were also very weird? i have trouble seeing him as a $60 million/yr player, or anywhere close
gonna try to become a person who stars emails
January 16, 2026 at 5:46 AM
gonna try to become a person who stars emails
extremely wild story from @nicolecarpenter.bsky.social (yes that one): aftermath.site/nicole-carpe...
I'm Not That Nicole Carpenter
I got a corrections request for a story I didn't write, and it pulled me down a journalism rabbit hole.
aftermath.site
January 16, 2026 at 5:11 AM
extremely wild story from @nicolecarpenter.bsky.social (yes that one): aftermath.site/nicole-carpe...
Critical piece about a new Palantir app ICE is using to determine the “density” of potential people to deport in a given neighborhood. Gives some indications on how ICE is deciding where to act
www.404media.co/elite-the-pa...
www.404media.co/elite-the-pa...
‘ELITE’: The Palantir App ICE Uses to Find Neighborhoods to Raid
Internal ICE material and testimony from an official obtained by 404 Media provides the clearest link yet between the technological infrastructure Palantir is building for ICE and the agency’s activit...
www.404media.co
January 15, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Critical piece about a new Palantir app ICE is using to determine the “density” of potential people to deport in a given neighborhood. Gives some indications on how ICE is deciding where to act
www.404media.co/elite-the-pa...
www.404media.co/elite-the-pa...
Reposted by Jason Koebler
New: meet ELITE, the Palantir app ICE is using to find neighborhoods to raid. Map interface; officers search for immigrants; click person to bring up individual dossier. This is clearest link between what Palantir is building and ICE's activities on the ground yet www.404media.co/elite-the-pa...
‘ELITE’: The Palantir App ICE Uses to Find Neighborhoods to Raid
Internal ICE material and testimony from an official obtained by 404 Media provides the clearest link yet between the technological infrastructure Palantir is building for ICE and the agency’s activit...
www.404media.co
January 15, 2026 at 2:06 PM
New: meet ELITE, the Palantir app ICE is using to find neighborhoods to raid. Map interface; officers search for immigrants; click person to bring up individual dossier. This is clearest link between what Palantir is building and ICE's activities on the ground yet www.404media.co/elite-the-pa...
are these guys just disproportionately bad at walking or what
A single federal agent with a long gun just walked through the crowd, slipped on the ice on his way under the police tape.
Dropped his loaded clip.
Dropped his loaded clip.
January 15, 2026 at 2:51 AM
are these guys just disproportionately bad at walking or what
Reposted by Jason Koebler
published this and was then immediately without internet for 3+ hours to share it so please read 🙏
ICE is headed to Maine
The Mayors of Portland and Lewiston confirmed Wednesday ICE's imminent presence.
www.thehandbasket.co
January 15, 2026 at 2:42 AM
published this and was then immediately without internet for 3+ hours to share it so please read 🙏
fwiw this is the program that the local cops who help ICE use Flock are signed up for
BREAKING: Dan Ceisler, the new sheriff of Pennsylvania's Bucks County, just announced he has terminated his county's 287(g) contract with ICE.
Ceisler defeated GOP sheriff who'd joined the ICE program in November, & ran on quitting it; we reported then:
Ceisler defeated GOP sheriff who'd joined the ICE program in November, & ran on quitting it; we reported then:
Voters Ousted This Pennsylvania Sheriff After He Signed Up to Collaborate With ICE - Bolts
A populous, swing county replaced its GOP sheriff on Tuesday after months of controversy over his joining ICE’s 287(g) program. The Democratic winner promises he’ll end the contract.
boltsmag.org
January 15, 2026 at 2:38 AM
fwiw this is the program that the local cops who help ICE use Flock are signed up for
Reposted by Jason Koebler
BREAKING: Hundreds of sensitive U.S. records obtained by WIRED undercut the Trump administration’s claims portraying Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua as a unified terrorist force invading the country. Intelligence agencies spent much of 2025 unsure TdA even functioned as an organization on U.S. soil.
Trump Warned of a Tren de Aragua ‘Invasion.’ US Intel Told a Different Story
Hundreds of records obtained by WIRED show thin intelligence on the Venezuelan gang in the United States, describing fragmented, low-level crime rather than a coordinated terrorist threat.
www.wired.com
January 14, 2026 at 4:02 PM
BREAKING: Hundreds of sensitive U.S. records obtained by WIRED undercut the Trump administration’s claims portraying Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua as a unified terrorist force invading the country. Intelligence agencies spent much of 2025 unsure TdA even functioned as an organization on U.S. soil.
Reposted by Jason Koebler
ICE is stopping its purchase of warrantless airline travel data, according to a new procurement record. This comes after the company selling it said it would not sell that data anymore, following our months of reporting on the company. More here: www.404media.co/airlines-wil...
January 14, 2026 at 4:00 PM
ICE is stopping its purchase of warrantless airline travel data, according to a new procurement record. This comes after the company selling it said it would not sell that data anymore, following our months of reporting on the company. More here: www.404media.co/airlines-wil...
New: I got body camera footage from a case in which a cop used Flock to wrongfully accuse an innocent woman of stealing a package: "Nothing gets in or out of the town without us knowing about it"
www.404media.co/cop-used-flo...
www.404media.co/cop-used-flo...
Cop Used Flock to Wrongfully Accuse a Woman Then Refused to Look at Evidence That Exonerated Her, Body Camera Shows
"Nothing gets in or out of the town without us knowing about it," the cop told her.
www.404media.co
January 14, 2026 at 3:40 PM
New: I got body camera footage from a case in which a cop used Flock to wrongfully accuse an innocent woman of stealing a package: "Nothing gets in or out of the town without us knowing about it"
www.404media.co/cop-used-flo...
www.404media.co/cop-used-flo...
meanwhile on instagram things are going well: www.404media.co/instagram-ai...
Instagram AI Influencers Are Defaming Celebrities With Sex Scandals
Fake images of LeBron James, iShowSpeed, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and even Nicolás Maduro show them in bed with AI-generated influencers.
www.404media.co
January 13, 2026 at 7:15 PM
meanwhile on instagram things are going well: www.404media.co/instagram-ai...
Remember the metaverse lol www.fastcompany.com/91467599/met... by @edwardongwesojr.com
What was the metaverse?
Mark Zuckerberg effectively declared its death last December. But the delusional fervor it inspired lives on.
www.fastcompany.com
January 13, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Remember the metaverse lol www.fastcompany.com/91467599/met... by @edwardongwesojr.com
I updated to new iOS on accident and dear god
January 13, 2026 at 5:51 PM
I updated to new iOS on accident and dear god
New: Police have released info about millions of surveillance targets nationwide from thousands of different police departments because of a public records redaction error in Flock data. Reveals active police investigations, border patrol & ICE targets, lots more:
www.404media.co/police-unmas...
www.404media.co/police-unmas...
Police Unmask Millions of Surveillance Targets Because of Flock Redaction Error
Flock is going after a website called HaveIBeenFlocked.com that has collated public records files released by police.
www.404media.co
January 13, 2026 at 3:46 PM
New: Police have released info about millions of surveillance targets nationwide from thousands of different police departments because of a public records redaction error in Flock data. Reveals active police investigations, border patrol & ICE targets, lots more:
www.404media.co/police-unmas...
www.404media.co/police-unmas...
really good: defector.com/bari-weiss-i...
Bari Weiss Is The Symptom | Defector
Who says Bari Weiss doesn’t know how to run a newsroom? “My general view here,” the CBS News editor-in-chief wrote in a memo before shelving the now-infamous 60 Minutes report on El Salvador’s CECOT c...
defector.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:06 AM
really good: defector.com/bari-weiss-i...
Reposted by Jason Koebler
There are Bari Weisses everywhere for those with the eyes to see defector.com/bari-weiss-i...
Bari Weiss Is The Symptom | Defector
Who says Bari Weiss doesn’t know how to run a newsroom? “My general view here,” the CBS News editor-in-chief wrote in a memo before shelving the now-infamous 60 Minutes report on El Salvador’s CECOT c...
defector.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:19 PM
There are Bari Weisses everywhere for those with the eyes to see defector.com/bari-weiss-i...