Sam Cole
@samleecole.bsky.social
journalist / co-founder @404media.co
signal: sam.404
complain about the paywall catch a block
signal: sam.404
complain about the paywall catch a block
Pinned
Sam Cole
@samleecole.bsky.social
· Aug 22
404 Media at Two Years: How We've Grown, and What's Next
We're reflecting on the impact our journalism had in year two, how we've grown with your support, and what we aspire to accomplish in year three.
www.404media.co
it's been two wild years, and we can't wait to keep rocking into year three www.404media.co/two-years-40...
the new jersey driver mind will be in the DSM one day
December 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM
the new jersey driver mind will be in the DSM one day
404 Media is about to enter energy saver mode. We're still publishing throughout the week, however, so watch your inbox / RSS / the @404media.co feed and you won't miss us too badly.
Before we all slip into the ether, I wanted to highlight a few stories I published this year that stuck out. 🧵🪡
Before we all slip into the ether, I wanted to highlight a few stories I published this year that stuck out. 🧵🪡
December 23, 2025 at 5:00 PM
404 Media is about to enter energy saver mode. We're still publishing throughout the week, however, so watch your inbox / RSS / the @404media.co feed and you won't miss us too badly.
Before we all slip into the ether, I wanted to highlight a few stories I published this year that stuck out. 🧵🪡
Before we all slip into the ether, I wanted to highlight a few stories I published this year that stuck out. 🧵🪡
Reposted by Sam Cole
Archivists have saved and uploaded copies of the 60 Minutes episode new CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss ordered be shelved as a torrent and multiple file sharing sites. @evystadium.bsky.social has more.
Full story by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/archivists-p...
Full story by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/archivists-p...
December 23, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Archivists have saved and uploaded copies of the 60 Minutes episode new CBS editor-in-chief Bari Weiss ordered be shelved as a torrent and multiple file sharing sites. @evystadium.bsky.social has more.
Full story by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/archivists-p...
Full story by @josephcox.bsky.social: www.404media.co/archivists-p...
Reposted by Sam Cole
2025 was a big year for me and a horrifying year for the country. I hitched my wagon to 404 Media and trained my eye on the tide of nightmarish AI slop that's dominating our lives.
Here's some of my favorites from my first year with 404.
Here's some of my favorites from my first year with 404.
December 22, 2025 at 4:03 PM
2025 was a big year for me and a horrifying year for the country. I hitched my wagon to 404 Media and trained my eye on the tide of nightmarish AI slop that's dominating our lives.
Here's some of my favorites from my first year with 404.
Here's some of my favorites from my first year with 404.
Reposted by Sam Cole
Unlike many of Flock’s cameras, Flock’s Condor cameras track people, not vehicles.
The exposure highlights the fact that Flock is not just surveilling cars—it is surveilling people, and in some cases it is doing so in an insecure way.
LINK: www.404media.co/flock-expose...
The exposure highlights the fact that Flock is not just surveilling cars—it is surveilling people, and in some cases it is doing so in an insecure way.
LINK: www.404media.co/flock-expose...
December 22, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Unlike many of Flock’s cameras, Flock’s Condor cameras track people, not vehicles.
The exposure highlights the fact that Flock is not just surveilling cars—it is surveilling people, and in some cases it is doing so in an insecure way.
LINK: www.404media.co/flock-expose...
The exposure highlights the fact that Flock is not just surveilling cars—it is surveilling people, and in some cases it is doing so in an insecure way.
LINK: www.404media.co/flock-expose...
Reposted by Sam Cole
SCOOP: Flock left at least 60 of its AI-powered, people-tracking surveillance cameras exposed and livestreaming to the open internet. We tracked ourselves. The exposure highlights the power of these cameras and types of things they're tracking. Not just cars.
www.404media.co/flock-expose...
www.404media.co/flock-expose...
Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves.
Flock left at least 60 of its people-tracking Condor PTZ cameras live streaming and exposed to the open internet.
www.404media.co
December 22, 2025 at 4:07 PM
SCOOP: Flock left at least 60 of its AI-powered, people-tracking surveillance cameras exposed and livestreaming to the open internet. We tracked ourselves. The exposure highlights the power of these cameras and types of things they're tracking. Not just cars.
www.404media.co/flock-expose...
www.404media.co/flock-expose...
Flock left a bunch of its cameras exposed to the internet, where we could watch them streaming live. Here's how that happened and what we saw: www.404media.co/flock-expose...
Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. We Tracked Ourselves.
Flock left at least 60 of its people-tracking Condor PTZ cameras live streaming and exposed to the open internet.
www.404media.co
December 22, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Flock left a bunch of its cameras exposed to the internet, where we could watch them streaming live. Here's how that happened and what we saw: www.404media.co/flock-expose...
Reposted by Sam Cole
in the days since members have fled the discord, the chatbot wished people happy holidays and of course the anthropic exec responded and you just have to read this lmfao
www.404media.co/anthropic-ex...
www.404media.co/anthropic-ex...
December 16, 2025 at 3:48 PM
in the days since members have fled the discord, the chatbot wished people happy holidays and of course the anthropic exec responded and you just have to read this lmfao
www.404media.co/anthropic-ex...
www.404media.co/anthropic-ex...
Reposted by Sam Cole
New from 404 Media: ICE just paid hundreds of thousands to company making bounty hunter AI agents. The company says its AI agents “deliver rapid acceleration in finding persons of interest and mapping their entire network.” Comes as ICE spends millions on skip tracers www.404media.co/ice-contract...
ICE Contracts Company Making Bounty Hunter AI Agents
AI Solutions 87 says on its website its AI agents “deliver rapid acceleration in finding persons of interest and mapping their entire network.”
www.404media.co
December 18, 2025 at 5:21 PM
New from 404 Media: ICE just paid hundreds of thousands to company making bounty hunter AI agents. The company says its AI agents “deliver rapid acceleration in finding persons of interest and mapping their entire network.” Comes as ICE spends millions on skip tracers www.404media.co/ice-contract...
our friend @beckyferreira.bsky.social, the brain behind 404's Saturday science newsletter The Abstract, joined @emanuelmaiberg.bsky.social on the pod to talk about her new book! www.404media.co/why-are-we-o...
Why Are We Obsessed With Aliens?
Humanity has talked about aliens throughout recorded history, and obsession that has changed science, faith, and media.
www.404media.co
December 18, 2025 at 2:50 PM
our friend @beckyferreira.bsky.social, the brain behind 404's Saturday science newsletter The Abstract, joined @emanuelmaiberg.bsky.social on the pod to talk about her new book! www.404media.co/why-are-we-o...
Reposted by Sam Cole
a16z gave a million dollars to a phone farm that's flooding TikTok with AI-generated influencers. A hacker contacted 404 Media to reveal what these accounts are and what products they're promoting www.404media.co/hack-reveals...
Hack Reveals the a16z-Backed Phone Farm Flooding TikTok With AI Influencers
A hacker gained control of a 1,100 mobile phone farm powering covert, AI-generated ads on TikTok.
www.404media.co
December 17, 2025 at 2:14 PM
a16z gave a million dollars to a phone farm that's flooding TikTok with AI-generated influencers. A hacker contacted 404 Media to reveal what these accounts are and what products they're promoting www.404media.co/hack-reveals...
delusional loser ruins party www.404media.co/anthropic-ex...
Anthropic Exec Forces AI Chatbot on Gay Discord Community, Members Flee
“We’re bringing a new kind of sentience into existence,” Anthropic's Jason Clinton said after launching the bot.
www.404media.co
December 16, 2025 at 5:57 PM
delusional loser ruins party www.404media.co/anthropic-ex...
Reposted by Sam Cole
An American citizen had his face scanned by immigration agents while he was walking home from the gym in Chicago. Our story with @revealnews.org here: www.404media.co/how-a-us-cit...
How a US Citizen Was Scanned With ICE's Facial Recognition Tech
Jesus Gutiérrez told immigration agents he was a U.S. citizen. Only after they scanned his face, did the agents let him go.
www.404media.co
December 13, 2025 at 5:01 PM
An American citizen had his face scanned by immigration agents while he was walking home from the gym in Chicago. Our story with @revealnews.org here: www.404media.co/how-a-us-cit...
the women who helped lure and lie to hundreds of women, into the grip of men who would destroy their lives, is going to prison www.404media.co/valorie-mose...
Woman Who Helped Coerce Victims into GirlsDoPorn Sex Trafficking Ring Sentenced to Prison
Valorie Moser, the former bookkeeper and co-conspirator for GirlsDoPorn, was sentenced to two years in prison.
www.404media.co
December 15, 2025 at 4:04 PM
the women who helped lure and lie to hundreds of women, into the grip of men who would destroy their lives, is going to prison www.404media.co/valorie-mose...
can I say something controversial? if someone started putting airtag components in chapstick and vapes it'd make a killing
December 12, 2025 at 5:32 PM
can I say something controversial? if someone started putting airtag components in chapstick and vapes it'd make a killing
Reposted by Sam Cole
Okay gang, The Onion is 80 sign-ups away from our 60,000th print subscriber.
This would put us in contention for the Top 10 most circulated newspapers in the U.S.
So! We're giving our 60,000th subscriber a mystery box by our archivist as a nice lil thank you.
Sign up now. I'd give it an hour.
This would put us in contention for the Top 10 most circulated newspapers in the U.S.
So! We're giving our 60,000th subscriber a mystery box by our archivist as a nice lil thank you.
Sign up now. I'd give it an hour.
Join The Onion
Don’t just read the news. Feel it. Be among the first to feel the news.
membership.theonion.com
December 11, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Okay gang, The Onion is 80 sign-ups away from our 60,000th print subscriber.
This would put us in contention for the Top 10 most circulated newspapers in the U.S.
So! We're giving our 60,000th subscriber a mystery box by our archivist as a nice lil thank you.
Sign up now. I'd give it an hour.
This would put us in contention for the Top 10 most circulated newspapers in the U.S.
So! We're giving our 60,000th subscriber a mystery box by our archivist as a nice lil thank you.
Sign up now. I'd give it an hour.
Reposted by Sam Cole
another day another meltdown on Polymarket over the exact wording of a bet
‘Architects of AI’ Wins Time Person of the Year, Sends Gambling Markets Into a Meltdown
People who bet on "AI" did not win and are incredibly mad.
www.404media.co
December 11, 2025 at 6:15 PM
another day another meltdown on Polymarket over the exact wording of a bet
Reposted by Sam Cole
Porn is being injected into dozens of government websites across the country using malicious PDFs. A separate attack is hijacking govt websites to redirect to penis enlargement scams and animal vagina masturbators. Cool stuff:
www.404media.co/porn-is-bein...
www.404media.co/porn-is-bein...
Porn Is Being Injected Into Government Websites Via Malicious PDFs
Dozens of government websites have fallen victim to a PDF-based SEO scam, while others have been hijacked to sell sex toys.
www.404media.co
December 11, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Porn is being injected into dozens of government websites across the country using malicious PDFs. A separate attack is hijacking govt websites to redirect to penis enlargement scams and animal vagina masturbators. Cool stuff:
www.404media.co/porn-is-bein...
www.404media.co/porn-is-bein...
meta's answer to this problem: we've been doing SEO indexing for years, but we recently decided to make it suck worse by having AI do it :) www.404media.co/instagram-is...
December 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
meta's answer to this problem: we've been doing SEO indexing for years, but we recently decided to make it suck worse by having AI do it :) www.404media.co/instagram-is...
normal country in a normal timeline www.404media.co/pete-hegseth...
Pete Hegseth Says the Pentagon's New Chatbot Will Make America 'More Lethal'
The Department of War aims to put Google Gemini 'directly into the hands of every American warrior.'
www.404media.co
December 9, 2025 at 11:09 PM
normal country in a normal timeline www.404media.co/pete-hegseth...
Reposted by Sam Cole
Instagram is creating 2014 Buzzfeed-style SEO headlines for your Instagram posts and guess what? They're often misleading. Thanks to @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social and @mrdang.photos for flagging this to me www.404media.co/instagram-is...
Instagram Is Generating Inaccurate SEO Bait for Your Posts
Instagram is generating headlines for Instagram posts that appear on Google Search results. Users say they are misrepresenting them.
www.404media.co
December 9, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Instagram is creating 2014 Buzzfeed-style SEO headlines for your Instagram posts and guess what? They're often misleading. Thanks to @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social and @mrdang.photos for flagging this to me www.404media.co/instagram-is...
Reposted by Sam Cole
CBP *still* claims that it has no deal with Meta and that these are personal glasses owned by the agents. If they're personal glasses, though, then it is illegal for the agent to record
![CBP’s policy on recording devices states that “no personally owned devices may be used in lieu of IDVRS [Incident Driven Video Recording Systems] to record law enforcement encounters.” It adds that “recorded data shall not be downloaded or recorded for personal use or posted onto a personally owned device.” The broader DHS policy says that “the use of personally owned [Body Worn Cameras] or other video, audio, or digital recording devices to record official law enforcement activities is prohibited.”](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cjfcz3t36f6nrprarkhkycxo/bafkreihrg6bpndw5yhgmljaty44vx4b2bhwrzsehbtafxkzhgb5hbltwme@jpeg)
December 9, 2025 at 3:27 PM
CBP *still* claims that it has no deal with Meta and that these are personal glasses owned by the agents. If they're personal glasses, though, then it is illegal for the agent to record
in our interview episode this week, I talked to porn historian and professional pervert Noelle Perdue about the dangers of isolating intimacy, whether the cat is entirely out of the bag, and our favorite parody porn.
watch it on youtube or listen wherever you get your podz
youtu.be/9eqMXBwWtkA?...
watch it on youtube or listen wherever you get your podz
youtu.be/9eqMXBwWtkA?...
Why AI Porn Sucks with Noelle Perdue
YouTube video by 404 Media
youtu.be
December 9, 2025 at 3:23 PM
in our interview episode this week, I talked to porn historian and professional pervert Noelle Perdue about the dangers of isolating intimacy, whether the cat is entirely out of the bag, and our favorite parody porn.
watch it on youtube or listen wherever you get your podz
youtu.be/9eqMXBwWtkA?...
watch it on youtube or listen wherever you get your podz
youtu.be/9eqMXBwWtkA?...
Reposted by Sam Cole
New from 404 Media: a man has been charged for allegedly wiping a Google Pixel phone before CBP could search it. Search was by a CBP Tactical Terrorism Response Team, which ACLU says "interrogate innocent travelers." Man is described as an activist online
www.404media.co/man-charged-...
www.404media.co/man-charged-...
Man Charged for Wiping Phone Before CBP Could Search It
The exact circumstances around the search are not known. But activist Samuel Tunick is charged with deleting data from a Google Pixel before CBP’s Tactical Terrorism Response Team could search it.
www.404media.co
December 9, 2025 at 3:06 PM
New from 404 Media: a man has been charged for allegedly wiping a Google Pixel phone before CBP could search it. Search was by a CBP Tactical Terrorism Response Team, which ACLU says "interrogate innocent travelers." Man is described as an activist online
www.404media.co/man-charged-...
www.404media.co/man-charged-...
DHS says it doesn't allow agents to record using Meta's smart glasses. so what's this chucklehead doing? www.404media.co/border-patro...
Border Patrol Agent Recorded Raid with Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses
New videos and photos shared with 404 Media show a Border Patrol agent wearing Meta Ray-Bans glasses with the recording light clearly on. This is despite a DHS ban on officers recording with personal ...
www.404media.co
December 9, 2025 at 2:39 PM
DHS says it doesn't allow agents to record using Meta's smart glasses. so what's this chucklehead doing? www.404media.co/border-patro...