The 404 Media Podcast
404 Media
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
Mentioned books
54 snips
Nov 4, 2026 • 60min
Inside Proton’s AI Reckoning
Sam Cole, a 404 Media journalist covering internet culture and online communities, joins a deep dive into Proton’s aggressive AI push, employee fears, and the tension between speed and privacy. She also unpacks Archive of Our Own’s security outage, fandom’s frantic response, and a dubious AI-powered clone built from scraped fanfiction.
20 snips
Nov 2, 2026 • 53min
Can Data Center Development Be Stopped?
Nate Otjen, a sustainability scholar focused on energy and environmental justice, and Kyle Keeler, an environmental scientist studying infrastructure and community resistance, examine the backlash against data centers. They explore secretive deals, land and water pressures, rising electricity costs, pollution, speculative construction, and industry “panic” messaging. They also discuss astroturfing, the tech-nuclear connection, and how communities can use zoning, moratoriums, lawsuits, and solidarity to push back.
11 snips
Oct 28, 2026 • 44min
Leaked Audio: Flock CEO Says the Backlash Isn’t Real
Leaked audio captures Flock’s CEO dismissing public backlash, blaming critics on bots, and vowing never to apologize as communities push back against surveillance technology. The discussion then turns to Marissa Mayer’s AI parenting anecdote and her controversial claims about gender in tech, before previewing a troubling case involving identity theft and a Cash App account.
31 snips
Oct 26, 2026 • 56min
Is the AI Boom a Bubble?
Mike Isaac, longtime Silicon Valley journalist and author of Super Pumped, explores Meta’s child safety settlement, Facebook’s enduring usefulness, and Zuckerberg’s anxious AI strategy. He examines the circular economy of data centers, why flawed AI could still reshape society, and the race toward IPOs. Isaac also discusses Uber’s enduring promises, autonomous agents, San Francisco’s transformation, and Travis Kalanick’s comeback.
24 snips
Oct 21, 2026 • 42min
‘Reverse-Engineer Anything’ Is the Next Wave of AI Slop
AI is becoming a tool for reverse-engineering nearly anything, from Adobe software and smart TVs to abandoned gadgets and locked-down tractors. The discussion explores buggy clones, malware risks, copyright fights, and a future filled with AI-made hardware hacks. Plus, Accenture’s tight Claude spending cap exposes the tension between corporate AI enthusiasm and ballooning costs.
24 snips
Oct 19, 2026 • 1h 4min
Data Centers Are Worse Than You Thought
Paris Marx, technology critic, podcast host, and author of Hyperscale, explores the hidden costs of Big Tech’s data-center boom. They discuss noise, water use, pollution, electricity prices, weak job promises, and communities fighting industrial expansion. The conversation also examines AI’s appetite for power, renewed reliance on fossil gas, and why cloud computing has become a city-scale infrastructure battle.
14 snips
Oct 14, 2026 • 47min
Cops Can Use AI to Pinpoint Your Home with Just One Photo
An AI tool once used to geolocate outdoor images now claims it can identify a specific home from a single interior photo, raising major privacy and surveillance concerns. The discussion also examines police use of Flock and Vigilant vehicle-tracking data, including a traffic stop a judge ruled unconstitutional. The subscriber segment explores an AI-generated video that influenced a manslaughter case.
25 snips
Oct 9, 2026 • 56min
The Social Reckoning’s Real-Life Whistleblower
Frances Haugen, the former Facebook product manager whose disclosures exposed harms linked to Facebook and Instagram, discusses Aaron Sorkin’s film about her whistleblowing journey. She explores journalism, NDAs, Meta’s dismantled civic integrity team, abandoned features, algorithmic polarization, and why employees risk everything to leak. Haugen also examines Meta’s progress and the privacy and safety threats AI may amplify.
33 snips
Oct 7, 2026 • 40min
Leak Show Cops Can Break into Locked iPhones
Leaked video claims police can bypass an iPhone security feature designed to reboot locked devices, potentially preserving access for forensic tools. A bizarre experiment placing language models in simulated torture scenarios sparks an uproar over AI consciousness and welfare. Plus, a murder appeal leans on fake witnesses generated by ChatGPT.
14 snips
Oct 6, 2026 • 1h 15min
404 Media Live! The Three Year Anniversary Show
Matthew Galt, 404 Media’s Southern correspondent, covers data centers, infrastructure, and community resistance. Science journalist Becky Ferreira, author of First Contact, explores bizarre research about aliens, animals, and the natural world. They discuss surveillance, AI-generated sludge, worker pushback, local activism, independent journalism, and the strange creatures scientists keep finding.
