Category: Series

Footage of a couple on a giant screen during a Coldplay concert in Boston went viral because the man and woman were married—but not to each other. Within minutes of the video being posted on TikTok and X, users banded together to identify the couple in the video using AI and facial recognition.

Crowdsourced social media investigations are becoming more common, and those responsible are increasingly using dystopian surveillance technologies that police and federal agencies are using against illegal immigrants and marginalized groups. At the same time, our privacy is being eroded.

Jason Koebler of 404 Media sat down with Taylor Lorenz to explore the origins of the surveillance and entertainment economy, how and why it evolved, and what we can do to protect ourselves.