josephcox

josephcox, 3 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: applying to a host of jobs—including FedEx, McDonald's, CVS—now requires a bizarre personality quiz with blue aliens run by a company called Paradox.ai. We tested it out by applying for job at Olive Garden.

https://www.404media.co/low-paying-jobs-require-bizarre-personality-evaluation-from-ai-company/

josephcox, 3 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: a woman is bringing a class action lawsuit against massive sex toy company Adam and Eve for sharing information about her sex toy searches with Google, including what she added to her cart (“Pink Jelly Slim Dildo”) https://www.404media.co/woman-sues-sex-toy-retailer-adam-and-eve-claiming-it-shared-data-about-her-dildos/

josephcox, 3 months ago to random

New: the Taliban took control of the domain "queer.af" (af being the TLD of Afghanistan). With the Taliban now controlling the country, it is taking back domains. This had the effect of killing the queer.af Mastodon instance https://www.404media.co/taliban-shuts-down-queer-af-domain-breaking-mastodon-instance/

josephcox, 3 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: Microsoft's Copilot, its AI chat bot increasingly built into its products, will start typing answers to your questions then delete them in front of your eyes. Seems to be mostly for sexual topics. An unusual moderation strategy https://www.404media.co/microsofts-ai-will-delete-its-own-answer-before-your-eyes/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New: an Apple executive lobbied against a strong right-to-repair bill, which is the first time the company has had an employee actively outline its stance on right to repair at an open hearing. Shows still intends to control its own repair ecosystem https://www.404media.co/apple-is-lobbying-against-right-to-repair-again/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

This week's Behind the Blog is out!

• Emanuel and Sam on constant NSFW reporting
• Jason on bypassing censorship while in Indonesia
• Me on what happens next with fake IDs a mouse click away https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-not-safe-for-whose-work/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: This Guy Has Built an Open Source Search Engine as an Alternative to Google in His Spare Time

"I found it very weird that there essentially is no way to browse the web in an open manner. So that's what I am trying to build." https://www.404media.co/this-guy-is-building-an-open-source-search-engine-in-real-time/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

The viral story about a botnet of toothbrushes leading to a DDoS attack is almost certainly not real. We got a statement from Fortinet saying their story about it was hypothetical. You all really gotta get a grip sometimes 🤡 https://www.404media.co/the-viral-toothbrush-ddos-botnet-story-almost-certainly-isnt-real/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: Patternz, a global phone spy tool which is built on advertising data, was specifically marketed as a "riot detection" tool, with maps pointing to New York City. Shows the aspirations of what companies selling this tech envision it for

https://www.404media.co/patternz-phone-spy-tool-pitched-for-riot-detection-in-nyc/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

I went on @PopularFront_ to talk about encrypted phones, Iran hiring Hells Angels for a hit on US soil, and 404 Media more broadly. Independent media talking independent media. As a paid subscriber to Popular Front, encourage you to check it out https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/popular-front/id1364539980?i=1000644326740

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New (and obviously NSFW): AI generated grandma porn is flooding the internet, getting millions of views. Also to verify accounts, people have to upload a verification video. There are obviously AI generated ones on some sites, unclear if worked https://www.404media.co/ai-generated-grandma-porn-is-flooding-the-internet/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New impact from 404 Media: OnlyFake, the underground website we showed allowed anyone to make highly convincing photos of fake IDs in minutes, has gone dark. Comes after our investigation showing it could be used to bypass ID verification

"Website down?"
https://www.404media.co/onlyfake-neural-network-fake-id-site-goes-dark-after-404-media-investigation/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: inside the underground site where "neural networks" churn out fake IDs

• I tested the service, called OnlyFake, made two IDs in minutes
• I then used one to successfully bypass the identity verification check on a cryptocurrency exchange
• Massive implications for crime, cybersecurity. What does it mean for us when fake IDs are a mouse click away?

https://www.404media.co/inside-the-underground-site-where-ai-neural-networks-churns-out-fake-ids-onlyfake/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: people are distraught that current VR porn does not work on the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro https://www.404media.co/a-3-500-chastity-belt-early-apple-vision-pro-adopters-alarmed-to-learn-vr-porn-doesnt-work/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: 4chan is now using AI to put clothes back on women they deem "undignified." It's a bizarre, and equally sexist, flip side to the nude generating deepfake apps
https://www.404media.co/dignifai-4chan-is-editing-pictures-to-clothe-women/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: the Instagram ad to investment scam pipeline.

Ads impersonating famous rich people (Bill Ackman, Cramer, Cathie Wood etc) funnel people to WhatsApp groups. Scammers then text you over SMS, encourage to send them money over Cash App https://www.404media.co/fake-bill-ackman-and-jim-cramer-instagram-ads-are-trying-to-take-my-money/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New: impassioned, highly convincing piece from the two reporters who have followed deepfakes closer than anyone. Say nothing will really change until something even bigger than the viral Swift images happens—some sort of "incident" with collateral damage

https://www.404media.co/taylor-swift-deepfakes-ai-generated-porn/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: Binance code & internal passwords exposed on GitHub for months. Includes code for how Binance implements 2FA, much more

Legal demand says GitHub user is “hosting [..] leaks of internal code which poses significant risk to BINANCE.”

https://www.404media.co/binance-internal-code-and-passwords-exposed-on-github-for-months/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: insane story out of Maryland

• murder-for-hire plot
• carried at behest of infamous Iranian drug trafficker who is protected by Iranian state
• hired Hells Angels
• target was Iranian defector
• all planned on the encrypted phone Sky

https://www.404media.co/encrypted-phone-sky-linked-to-murder-for-hire-plot-in-maryland/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New impact from 404 Media: Microsoft closes loophole in its AI that was used by the community that made AI nonconsensual imagery of Taylor Swift. Comes after we traced the activity to a specific Telegram group and then 4chan https://www.404media.co/microsoft-closes-loophole-that-created-ai-porn-of-taylor-swift/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New: We Need Your Email Address

You may notice we're asking for your email to read much of 404 Media. This is an existential issue explained in this 3000 word article

• AI stealing our work
• social media collapse
• media industry tailspin

Please read it
https://www.404media.co/why-404-media-needs-your-email-address/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

This week's Behind the Blog is up.

• I go long and personal on the idea of having a freewall on 404 Media
• Emanuel on AI with Taylor Swift and Neo Nazis
• Sam on AI too

https://www.404media.co/behind-the-blog-ai-harm-journalism-business/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New: 404 Media's @samleecole and @emanuelmaiberg traced those viral (and abusive) AI porn images of Taylor Swift to a specific Telegram community. That community uses Microsoft's AI tools. This is the source of nonconsensual Swift porn now spreading online
https://www.404media.co/ai-generated-taylor-swift-porn-twitter/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New impact from 404 Media: YouTube deletes 1,000 videos of in which Taylor Swift, Steve Harvey, and Joe Rogan pitch Medicare scams. Comes after we reported the practice, which was operating at a massive scale. Many still remain.

https://www.404media.co/youtube-deletes-1-000-videos-of-celebrity-ai-scam-ads/

josephcox, 4 months ago to random

New from 404 Media: the leader of the Neo-Nazi group The Base, instructed his followers to use an “uncensored” large language model in case they “need info from totally uncensored AI.” Shows how extremist groups may turn to AI https://www.404media.co/founder-of-new-nazi-group-the-base-instructs-followers-to-use-uncensored-ai/