How the FBI built its own smartphone company to hack the criminal underworld

404 Media

404 Media emerged from the ashes of Vice, founded by Joseph Cox and his co-founders to create a sustainable platform for investigative journalism. They aim to prioritize journalism, believing that when journalism is placed at the forefront, people are willing to support it financially. Cox shares his experience, emphasizing the importance of maintaining journalistic integrity in an industry facing layoffs and financial challenges 1.

The journalism has to come first and that's always the case. But if you actually put the journalism first, people respect that and they will come and they will pay for your work.

--- Joseph Cox

The founders were inspired by other independent media ventures and have successfully built a subscriber-driven model that supports their investigative work.

   

Journalism's Impact

The role of journalism in exposing complex cybersecurity operations is crucial, as demonstrated by Joseph Cox's work on the FBI's smartphone company. His book, "Dark Wire," reveals how the FBI ran a phone network to infiltrate the criminal underworld, highlighting the tension between privacy and security 2. This operation, known as ANOM, provided law enforcement with unprecedented access to criminal communications, but also raised ethical questions about surveillance and privacy 3.

There's a deep tension between privacy and security that constantly runs through the tech industry.

--- Nilay Patel

Cox's reporting underscores the power of journalism to bring such hidden stories to light, prompting discussions on the balance between security measures and individual privacy rights.