The FBI Was Hacked. We’ve Seen the Data
Sep 30, 2026 · 42m
Summary
Hosts Joseph, Sam Cole, and Jason Keble break down the Shiny Hunters breach of the FBI, revealing stolen data on 5,000 agents, including sensitive medical and counterintelligence records. They analyze the hackers' motivations and the ongoing national security risks despite the group’s claim they will not publicly dump the files. The episode also covers a new surveillance threat, as company Vidismo pitches facial recognition integration for Flock cameras, exploiting a gap in the market after Flock explicitly refused to add such features.
Topics discussed
Apple Watch Series 12 sponsor segment
Welcome to 404 Media and subscription pitch
Introduction to the FBI hack by Shiny Hunters
Background on Shiny Hunters and their history
Details on the leaked FBI employee data
Scope of the breach: officials, spouses, and hacking tools
FBI response and Shiny Hunters' threats
Shiny Hunters claim they will not publish the data
Analysis of the data leak and secondary risks
Discussion on FBI security confidence
Sponsor segments: Ultra Pouches and Nord Layer
Transition to new story on surveillance tech
Vidismo's proposal to add facial recognition to Flock
Context: Clearview AI and surveillance trends
Discovery of Vidismo emails via FOIA records
How the facial recognition integration would work
Privacy concerns and potential for misuse
Accuracy issues and racial bias in the system
Interview impressions of Vidismo's strategy
Flock's data ownership policies and legal gaps
Conclusion and final subscription reminder
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