The 404 Media Podcast We're Suing ICE. Here's Why
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Sep 24, 2025 The hosts reveal their lawsuit against ICE to uncover details about a $2 million spyware contract with Paragon. They delve into the dangers of AI 'workslop,' exploring how it drags down productivity and damages team dynamics. The discussion turns to the rising trend of engineers cleaning up poorly coded AI projects, known as 'vibe coding.' They also tease a shocking story about a Steam game that defrauded a cancer patient and debate the perplexities of a game called Silksong. A mix of tech, ethics, and gaming makes for a thought-provoking listen!
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ICE Bought Powerful Phone Spyware
- ICE signed a $2M contract with Paragon, a company selling powerful phone spyware for reading encrypted messages.
- The contract was uncommunicated and reactivated after a pause, raising urgent public-interest concerns.
Graphite Targets Encrypted Chats Silently
- Paragon (Graphite) targets encrypted chat apps and can infect phones without targets clicking links.
- It positions itself as working with democracies but remains a potent surveillance tool with global deployments.
Paragon Has Global Footprints
- Citizen Lab and reporting have found Paragon deployments across multiple countries including Italy, Australia, Canada, and more.
- The US DEA reportedly used Graphite previously, suggesting US agencies may already deploy similar spyware.