logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2021
28m 52s

How the FBI Ran Its Own Texting App to C...

Vice
About this episode

It’s basically the FBI’s greatest fantasy come to life: Owning an operating an encrypted communications company exclusively used by some of the world’s most hardened and organized criminals.


“Anom” the subscription based network operated by the feds, was used as the ultimate spy tool that gave an almost godlike view of organized crime to FBI agents who watched users discuss murder, drug deals, and millions of dollars worth of criminal activity. And it all came to a screeching halt this week when a coordinated law enforcement effort around the world took down its customer base.


Motherboard reporter Joseph Cox is on the show to talk in more details about the latest takedown by the FBI.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Feb 2024
Why Congress's Fears of Russian Space Nukes Is Political Theatre
Cyber is a show covering a diverse range of topics. We’ve covered everything from crypto to AI to online cults. If it touches technology or online culture, we’ll talk about it. That’s how you get an episode like today’s, which is both a deep dive into professional wrestling’s lat ... Show More
1 h
Feb 2024
AI Deepfakes Are Everywhere and Congress is Completely Out of Their Depth
An AI-generated Biden called voters in New Hampshire ahead of the primary and told them to stay home. X locked down the search term “Taylor Swift” after AI-generated nudes of the pop giant flooded the platform. In the wake of both scandals, Congress has struggled with how to figh ... Show More
50m 29s
Feb 2024
Tech Used to Be Bleeding Edge, Now it’s Just Bleeding
Ten years ago, Big Tech reached a peak. Facebook had wormed its way into the lives of billions of people. The mainstream news covered iPhones releases like they were Taylor Swift concerts. Elon Musk was promising to colonize Mars and fill the streets with self-driving cars. In 20 ... Show More
1h 7m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2021
Crimeworld Extra: How The FBI hacked the ANOM phone network in the world's greatest crime sting
Hot on the heels of the Encrochat and Sky ECC takedowns, criminals are again counting the costs of their so called ‘bullet proof’ mobile phone systems. The busted Anom network, co-ordinated by the FBI and Australian law enforcement partners, has seen 800 arrests, the seizure of 3 ... Show More
28m 46s
Jun 2021
The FBI’s hi-tech sting, the day the internet broke
Joe Biden’s plan to overhaul the international tax system will face a difficult passage through the US Congress as Republicans threaten to vote down a prospective deal, and millions of internet users lost access to major sites yesterday due to a configuration error at a Silicon V ... Show More
9m 43s
Aug 2023
You Never Can Forget: The FBI Files: Car Trouble
Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation helped out in the earliest days of the Burger Chef murders. The 1978 quadruple homicide remains unsolved. In 2019, Kevin Greenlee requested documents pertaining to the case from the FBI. Recently, we finally received those. We'll be ... Show More
35m 20s
Apr 2023
FBI makes arrest in leaked-files investigation; emergency relief sought over abortion pill access, and more
The FBI arrested Jack Teixeira, the alleged leader of a gun-loving online group that hosted leaked American intelligence files. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. 
3m 36s
Nov 2019
PureLocker ransomware. APT33 update. Hong Kong and information war, in the courts and on PornHub. Facebook content takedowns. Alleged criminals prepare to face the court.
PureLocker is a new ransomware strain available in the black market. APT33 is showing a surge of activity. Lawfare and information operations in and around Hong Kong. Facebook takes down content for violating its Community Standards. And two alleged cyber criminals are facing cha ... Show More
21m 9s
Nov 2021
Crime World Extra: How Australia's biggest drug cartel was brought to its knees
It was a sensational blow to organised crime - and when Australia’s Federal Police joined forces with the FBI to create a phone network to infiltrate drug gangs, the fallout shocked both police and politicians. An Aussie cartel with tentacles deep into the airline and freight ind ... Show More
18m 26s
Jul 2022
Murder, corruption, and the mob: How a Chicago mafia lawyer became an undercover informant
This Week on True Crime Daily The Podcast: A former lawyer for the Chicago mob who bribed judges and helped killers walk free goes undercover with the FBI to expose the city’s corruption. Jake Halpern, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and host of the podcast “Deep Cover,” join ... Show More
45m 32s