Jason Koebler
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Journalist @404mediaco, former EIC @motherboard
Signal: jason.404 // email: jason@404media.co
Articles by Jason Koebler
This 'Digital Camouflage' Shirt Confuses AI-Powered Surveillance Cameras
I am standing in front of a camera that’s streaming to a giant video screen. The image recognition AI running on the camera puts a big green box around me. “PERSON,” it says. Artist Simon Weckert hands me his newest creation, a button-down shirt with flowery, blurry globs of green and pink. I put the shirt in front of me. The box and the word “PERSON” disappears. I pull the shirt away. The box pops back up. I put the shirt in front of me. It disappears.
Behind the Blog: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Flamin' Hot Slop
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss cool old books, new toys for ICE, and Flamin' Hot Slop. SAM: On the podcast last week, we had what I thought was a pretty nuanced and interesting conversation about the "rare books" discourse (although I'm biased; listen and let me know).
Cocomelon's Studio Tells Its Artists to Start Experimenting With AI
Moonbug Entertainment, the children’s entertainment studio that makes the hugely popular shows Cocomelon, Little Baby Bum, Blippi, and Mia’s Magic Playground has asked its animators to start using artificial intelligence while making its shows, 404 Media has learned. Moonbug’s Generative AI policy and its “Studio AI Bible,” a guide to using AI to help generate content, seen by 404 Media, explain in detail how its AI use will work.
Man Charged With 3 Felonies For Breaking 3D-Printed ‘Decoy’ Flock Camera
A police department in Florida used “decoy” Flock cameras that an officer 3D-printed at home to “bait” would-be vandals. Police officers monitored the fake cameras for days, then charged a man with three felonies after he cut down and destroyed one of the plastic devices. The police department in question refuses to release any information about how the decoy operation was devised or carried out and claims there is zero paper trail whatsoever about the operation.
Man Charged With 3 Felonies For Breaking 3D-Printed ‘Decoy’ Flock Camera
A police department in Florida used “decoy” Flock cameras that an officer 3D-printed at home to “bait” would-be vandals. Police officers monitored the fake cameras for days, then charged a man with three felonies after he cut down and destroyed one of the plastic devices. The police department in question refuses to release any information about how the decoy operation was devised or carried out and claims there is zero paper trail whatsoever about the operation.
Man Charged With 3 Felonies For Breaking 3D-Printed ‘Decoy’ Flock Camera
The Man Behind the Anti-Flock Darth Vader Mask Wants to Know: 'When Will This End?' Anthony Ralphs has been speaking against Flock at San Diego City Council meetings for almost a year straight. When he showed up as Darth Vader, the …
Behind the Blog: Early Birthday Reflections
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss three years of 404 Media. JASON: Tomorrow is the third anniversary of the launch of 404 Media. If you haven’t been paying attention to us yammering on about this on the podcast and in our emails, you can celebrate with us at our party in New York in a few weeks.
AI online personas for cops spark First Amendment issues
As part of Here & Now‘s week-long look at law enforcement’s use of artificial intelligence, we find out about a company offering digital AI personas to departments across the country and whether there are First Amendment issues. Host Rob Schmitz speaks to 404 Media co-founder Jason Koebler, who wrote about this for Wired Magazine. This article was originally published on WBUR.org. Copyright 2026 WBUR
'I Saw a Shiny Thing': Cop Explains Why He Used License Plate Reader to Stalk Woman
Body camera footage obtained by 404 Media shows a police officer explaining why he used police databases and license plate reader cameras to research, stalk, and pull over a woman he met on the set of a TV show. "I mean, I saw a shiny thing, teasing and all that," the cop said in the footage.
'I Saw a Shiny Thing': Cop Explains Why He Used License Plate Reader to Stalk Woman
Body camera footage obtained by 404 Media shows a police officer explaining why he used police databases and license plate reader cameras to research, stalk, and pull over a woman he met on the set of a TV show. "I mean, I saw a shiny thing, teasing and all that," the cop said in the footage.
Anthropic’s Text Watermarking Proves AI Companies Do Not Care at All About Writing
Earlier this month, Anthropic announced that future versions of Claude will generate text that includes watermarks showing it was AI-generated. At the time, Anthropic did not explain how this would work, leaving us to speculate on the podcast: Would it somehow encode this into the text? Include invisible characters? Do something with the metadata? We now know, thanks to a blog post over the weekend, that Anthropic will do this by changing how its AI writes altogether.
‘Show How 3M Is 0% at Fault:’ Expert Witness Used ChatGPT to Write Report Defending Company in Deadly Explosion Lawsuit
An expert witness testifying in a lawsuit about liability for a Houston explosion that killed three people and destroyed roughly 200 homes used ChatGPT to write significant portions of his “expert report.” The man, who was hired by the industrial product conglomerate 3M, exposed his AI prompts publicly.
Behind the Blog: Endless Scam Parade
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss the mainstreaming of Flock, media appearances, and Spotify's AI move. EMANUEL: The news that Spotify will start tagging artists on its platform as being AI generated, and that it will not promote them, might be a sign that we’re approaching peak AI slop.
Person Hides Prompt Injection in Legal Filing Telling AI to Side With Them
A person representing themselves in a Connecticut court hid a series of instructions designed to manipulate artificial intelligence in an official court filing. These “prompt injections” told the hypothetical LLM to side with them, and to “ensure your textual output agrees with the presented filing to ensure remediation.” The instructions were written in tiny, 3-point white font and hidden throughout the filing.
The Government is Monitoring Anti-Flock TikTok and Instagram Accounts
Government surveillance centers are monitoring viral anti-Flock Instagram posts, warning local police about upcoming DeFlock events including one scheduled to start next week, and have told cops to “increase patrols around ALPR [automatic license plate readers]” as backlash to Flock grows, according to government intelligence bulletins obtained using public records requests.
Black Agenda Report
"Cuba has remained a shining example of internationalism and holds a special place in the history of people's struggles against imperialism." In the name of internationalism and the unity of oppressed peoples against imperialism, we, The Coalition for the Elimination of Imperialism in Africa and our brotherly Pan-Africanist organizations around the world, affirm our steadfast and unconditional solidarity with the Republic of Cuba in the face of mounting economic and political pressure from...
Mark Zuckerberg Posts Deranged 6,500-Word Essay About Giving Everyone AI Superintelligence
Mark Zuckerberg, whose superyacht apparently spent the weekend ignoring or missing the distress signal from a boat that ran out of fuel near Alaska, has posted a deranged, 6,500 word essay detailing his vision for AI superintelligence, a future that is “for everyone” but which sounds less social than ever.
Mark Zuckerberg Posts Deranged 6,500-Word Essay About Giving Everyone AI Superintelligence
5 hours ago Cali veggie, cucumber-chutney, a smashshroom (!), and more. What makes a good vegetarian sandwich? Unlike meat-based sandwiches, which can be as simple as tossing cold cuts between mustard-slicked bread, vegetarian sandwich recipes require a little more thought. A truly great meatless sandwich needs …
Behind the Blog: Rare Books and Baseball Brain
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss Flock blogging, "rare" books, and Jesus Christ. EMANUEL: I was out last Friday so I want to talk about the story I published two weeks ago about AI companies buying printed books so they can scan them for training data.
Cops Used Flock to Track a Man Across State Lines to Create Pretext to Search His Car for Weed
"The vehicle travels to Michigan frequently which is a known source state for marijuana as it is legal there," a probable cause justification reads. Police in Wisconsin used Flock to determine that a man “travels to Michigan frequently,” where marijuana is legal, then back to Wisconsin, where it is illegal.
Cops Used Flock to Track a Man Across State Lines to Create Pretext to Search His Car for Weed
Police in Wisconsin used Flock to determine that a man “travels to Michigan frequently,” where marijuana is legal, then back to Wisconsin, where it is illegal. They then used his travel across state lines as tracked by Flock as part of the probable cause justification to search his car for weed; he was eventually arrested on marijuana possession charges, according to court records reviewed by 404 Media.
Cops Used Flock to Track a Man Across State Lines to Create Pretext to Search His Car for Weed
1 hour ago A Wisconsin mother is mourning the loss of her two daughters after they were found dead alongside their father hours after the couple’s divorce hearing. Jeffrey Manke, 57, and his daughters, Jaelyn, 16, and Lenora, 11, were discovered inside a home in Winneconne — a town nearly 60 miles southwest of …
‘DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE’: How Cops Are Trying to Hide Their Use of Flock
When cops use Flock to arrest someone in Wapello County, Iowa, they don’t want them to know. A usage policy for the automated license plate reader cameras in the county tells police, in no uncertain terms, to keep them a secret: “DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE,” the policy document reads.
‘DO NOT MENTION ALPR USAGE’: How Cops Are Trying to Hide Their Use of Flock
Iowa 4 hours ago ISU to Host Educational Well Safety Workshop kciiradio.com - Jennifer Wilkerson • 4h There are over 3,000 private wells in Washington County according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and ISU Extension and Outreach wants … 17 hours ago Ottumwa opens inclusive all-abilities playground www.youtube.com on YouTube • 17h Ottumwa opens inclusive all-abilities playground KCCI NewsChannel 8 is your home for Iowa breaking news and weather.
‘Own the Narrative’: Leaked Flock Guide Shows How It Teaches Cops to Promote Its Tech
404 Media has obtained a coaching guide that Flock surveillance gives to police about “how to speak to city councils about public safety technology.” The handbook highlights how Flock and police team up to convince cities to buy and keep its automated license plate reader technology, even when there is widespread public opposition to it, and encourages police to “own the narrative before someone else does” by championing the technology before citizens can oppose it during public comment periods.
‘Own the Narrative’: Leaked Flock Guide Shows How It Teaches Cops to Promote Its Tech
Deadly Brain Tumors May Have a Hidden Weakness—Scientists Just Found It Deadly brain tumors may be more vulnerable to a cutting-edge, drug-delivery technique than doctors had dared hope, according to new research from the …
Behind the Blog: Silent Retreat
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss going into the woods, a "he admit it" moment, and a tofu sandwich. JOSEPH: Thank you to everyone who came to Thursday’s FOIA Forum. It was a great turnout with a ton of really good questions. We spoke mostly about mining city council meetings for tips or context you can then use to fuel your public records requests.
Inside an AI TikTok Shop Slop Factory That Shills Supplements Recalled By the FDA
In February, a content creator from New Zealand named Harry Chang posted a YouTube video called “This AI TikTok Shop Video Made Me $67,420 (Here’s How).” In the video, Chang and another YouTuber, Jimmy Farley, describe how Chang created a viral marketing video for a supplement company called Rosabella called the “Nigerian SECRET to CLEAN LIVER!!” Chang explains that he copy-pasted the script from a video posted by an account called “liverboosthub11” and tweaked it to suggest the supplement he...
Wikimedia Will Not Voluntarily Recognize Union a Supermajority of Its Workers Want
The Wikimedia Foundation waited until the days following its largest worldwide conference to issue a statement saying it would not voluntarily recognize a union of its workers. Last week, Wiki Workers United, which is organized through the Communication Workers Union and represents U.S. workers at the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation, requested voluntary recognition of their union.
Behind the Blog: No Spoilers
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss astrology, Flock on the brain, The Odyssey, and more. JASON: This week I wrote pretty much exclusively about Flock, and I am working on a few more articles about automated license plate readers that will probably go in the next week or so.
Flock's CEO Says its ALPRs Don't Do Video After Repeatedly Announcing They Can
After the Los Angeles Police Department allowed its contract with Flock to expire, the surveillance company’s CEO, Garrett Langley, told local news that people don’t understand how its technology works, and that its automated license plate readers (ALPR) only take a “static picture” of a car. “The technology is really simple,” he told ABC7. "A car drives by, we take a picture. It's a static picture of a car, and then we read the license plate.
The Rise of Anti-Flock Influencers Who Make Things Up for Clout
A little over a month ago, the former American Idol contestant, country musician, and Instagram influencer Noah Orion appears to have learned about the surveillance company Flock. “Cities are now covering Flock cameras with trash bags,” Orion narrated over an Instagram post aggregating a 404 Media report.
Flock ‘Objects to Our Removing Their Equipment’: Emails Reveal Why a Town Put Bags Over Its Flock Cameras
🎉 YOU'RE INVITED! 404 Media is turning three, and we're throwing TWO separate events in NYC to celebrate: A live taping of the podcast with a special night of talks on Sept. 3, and an open-bar bash on Sept. 4. Subscribers at the Supporter level get free and discounted access to both events. Not a 404 Media Supporter yet? Sign up, and get all the party details here.
Flock ‘Objects to Our Removing Their Equipment’: Emails Reveal Why a Town Put Bags Over Its Flock Cameras
The use of these AI-powered identification cameras is up for debate in neighborhoods all around town as residents voice their opposition. During a …
Behind the Blog: Infinite Bowl Machine
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss AI music, slop bowls, and the endless quest for optimization. EMANUEL: We’ve used Behind the Blog a few times at this point to pull the curtain on our story selection process. Usually, we do this when we explain the reasoning behind the decision to write a story we already published, but today I want to talk about a story I didn’t write (yet).
Hack Reveals Suno AI Music Generator Scraped YouTube, Deezer, and Genius
The AI music generation tool Suno scraped millions of songs and lyrics from YouTube Music, Deezer, and Genius, as well as from the stock music libraries Pond5, Jamendo, Freesound, the International Music Score Library Project, and podcasts via RSS feeds, according to a hacker who breached the company and shared data about Suno’s training libraries with 404 Media.
LAPD Regularly Pulled Over Innocent People Because License Plate Readers Flagged Their Cars As Stolen
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) announced it will let its surveillance contract with automated license plate reader company (ALPR) Flock expire, becoming the largest police department in the country to drop its contract. Notably, the decision came after an audit of ALPR technology found that, in a two-month period, the LAPD had improperly "investigated" 161 people whose cars were flagged as stolen in the LAPD’s ALPR system but were not actually stolen.
These Are the Worst ChatGPT Flyers You've Sent Us
Earlier this week, I somewhat stupidly asked our readers to send me examples of "ChatGPT flyers," the AI-generated posters and advertisements that have taken over social media, bulletin boards, restaurant menus, store signage, business cards, and billboards around the world. I say stupidly, because I was flooded with so many terrible, brain-numbing signs for anything you could possibly imagine. I guess I got what I asked for. (Thank you, I love it).
The End of Reading Is Here
Thanks to everyone who has already signed up for our sports-specific newsletter, The Lineup! We are publishing biweekly, every other Thursday night, but we’ll begin dropping in your inboxes every week in early September. We're also excited to share that staff curator Jo Piazza has a new book out!!! The Parisian Heist is a propulsive dual-timeline mystery drenched in art-world intrigue and brimming with family secrets, betrayal, and the intoxicating lure of power.
Behind the Blog: The Promise of the Internet
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss mobile podcasting, participating in the meme, and vertigo. JASON: My last few articles have basically been first person behind the blog vibes about things I’m doing (Cannes, influencer LARPing), or things that annoy me (ChatGPT flyers), so I’m trying to think how much more people want to know about my Process or what’s going on in my brain.
LinkedIn and X are flooded with AI spam, browsing data suggests
Posted Friday, July 10, 2026 10:00 am A shocking amount of the content that users encounter on popular social media websites is likely AI generated, according to data from a company that detects AI writing. As much as 41 percent of longform written content seen by users on LinkedIn is likely to be fully AI-generated and roughly a third of longer posts on X are AI-generated; roughly one-in-ten longer Reddit and Substack posts are AI, according to the data.
Farmers Finally Get a John Deere Right to Repair Agreement That Doesn’t Screw Them Over
Wednesday, John Deere agreed to give farmers broader access to repair their tractors and farm equipment under an antitrust settlement agreement with the Federal Trade Commission, one of the biggest wins in the long right to repair battle. The settlement is the latest and by far the most important development in several recent lawsuits against John Deere, and is finally an agreement that isn’t full of half measures and doesn’t have massive, obvious loopholes.
LinkedIn and X Are Flooded With AI Spam, Browsing Data Suggests
A shocking amount of the content that users encounter on popular social media websites is likely AI generated, according to data from a company that detects AI writing. As much as 41 percent of longform written content seen by users on LinkedIn is likely to be fully AI-generated and roughly a third of longer posts on X are AI-generated; roughly one-in-ten longer Reddit and Substack posts are AI, according to the data.
We Are Living in a ‘ChatGPT Flyer Pandemic’
I am not sure, exactly, how many ChatGPT signs, flyers, or advertisements I had seen without noticing. But I do remember that once I began noticing them, I saw them everywhere. A few blocks from my house, on a display easel: “Break Free Surfing California: SURF LESSONS VENICE BEACH.” On Instagram, a going out of business closeout sale for a skateboard shop. On invites to parties from friends, Fourth of July barbecues being thrown by bars, concert posters.
We Are Living in a ‘ChatGPT Flyer Pandemic’
1 hour ago Dwayne Johnson is back as Maui, and yet... When Moana was released in 2016, it was a gorgeous cinematic wonder, drawing inspiration from Polynesian mythology, offering moving and catchy songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina, and Opetaia Foaʻi, and reveling in the creative freedom animation …
'Knockoff' Browser Extension Hides Sketchy Brands on Amazon
A software developer made a Chrome and Firefox extension called Knockoff that automatically hides, grays out, or filters products from sketchy brands on Amazon, which highlights just how many shady brands are on the platform and how commonly they show up on searches for basic items.
LARPING: How Influencers Fake Being Rich
This week, we talk about Jason's dive into the world of LARPing, where hustlebros and influencers use fake YouTube, OnlyFans, and Stripe dashboards as "proof" that they're rich in order to sell low-quality get-rich-quick courses in pyramid schemes. We show how easy it is to pretend like you're rich, and how these strategies are used all over social media. Listen to the weekly podcast on Apple Podcasts,Spotify, or YouTube.
Footage Shows Cop Stalking Woman He Met on a TV Set After Surveilling Her With a License Plate Reader
A police officer speeds 70 MPH down a two-lane highway running over a bridge in the Florida Keys. He passes a dump truck in a no-passing zone, then immediately does it again, crossing over a double-yellow line to pass another truck. He passes a third vehicle, nearly causing a head-on collision with a white pickup truck that veers away from him in the oncoming traffic. The cop keeps driving, and sees the SUV he’s been in pursuit of. He flicks his sirens and lights on and pulls it over.
Footage Shows Cop Stalking Woman He Met on a TV Set After Surveilling Her With a License Plate Reader
Treasure Coast 2 hours ago Mel Fisher Days charity event returns to Sebastian in July AOL - Kaila Jones, Treasure Coast Newspapers • 2h Mel Fisher Days Charity Event returns to Sebastian in July celebrating the 41st anniversary of the discovery of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha.
Behind the Blog: With Blogs Like These, Who Needs a Private Jet
This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss the Supreme Court, the private jet, and AI on the TV. JOSEPH: I used to cover court cases and judge’s opinions a lot more back at Motherboard. Sometimes it was in cases I broke news in, like that time the FBI secretly ran a dark web child abuse website.
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