Sign in

Joseph Menn

@joemenn.bsky.social
21K followers 840 following 1.5K posts

Washington Post alum covering hacking, disinformation and what’s left of privacy. Author of books on the Cult of the Dead Cow, organized criminal hacking, and Napster. Pulitzer co-finalist 2024. Signal joemenn.01

PostsRepliesMedia
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 18h
No word if this was just the beardos and weirdos or if True Warriors were impacted as well.
2133
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Dave Lee @davelee.me · 30/09/2026
This is completely insane
42910
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Reposting this because far-right shills like Benny Johnson are pushing this to millions of people as an example of Schmitt busting former special counsel Jack Smith. Elections are a terrible time to be in the truth business.
1337
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Theodore Grunewald @tedgrunewald.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
*This* is how AI will kill us. [#3 of an ongoing series.] bsky.app/profile/70sb...
21910
Reposted by Joseph Menn
rainey reitman @reitman.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
My friend @johncusack.bsky.social was on Jimmy Fallon last night talking about our work at @freedom.press, including the new Penlight Prize for excellence in FOIA reporting. Watch here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2ld...
youtube.com
John Cusack Discusses the Viral Video of Him Catching a Foul Baseball at a Chicago Cubs Game
YouTube video by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
28414
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
In related news, OpenAI has safety standards.
2385
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Dustin Volz @dustinvolz.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
New: FBI in internal memo says it believes ShinyHunters may have stolen private data on all employees. Fears of longterm consequences of breach magnify as hackers threaten to leak everything online by end of Tuesday. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/u...
nytimes.com
Embarrassing Breach at F.B.I. Fuels Fears of Harm to Its Employees (Gift Article)
In an internal memo, the F.B.I. said it believed the hackers may have stolen sensitive information on all of its employees.
43507205
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Idk maybe don’t attack a top Russian cyber gang and the FBI in the same week.
0110
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Now why would he think that, SCOTUS?
1183
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Comic-book corruption. Gift link: www.wsj.com/articles/kim...
wsj.com
The Mystery Man Shadowing Kimberly Guilfoyle as She Pushes Deals Across Europe
Christos Marafatsos works as an energy lobbyist while also closely advising the U.S. ambassador to Greece.
0112
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Every once in a while I think back to when “stop babies from needlessly dying” wasn’t a divisive position.
0173
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Mike Levin @mikelevin.org · 25/09/2026
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, I believe this ad crosses a clear line, and federal employees who helped produce it may have run afoul of the Hatch Act as well.
718725
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 25/09/2026
Should have done the responsible thing the first time: THIS ARTICLE IS TWO MONTHS OLD.
15726
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Maybe this is true only fro those who have opted in to Meta AI tools? Anyone know?
191
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Steve Vladeck @stevevladeck.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Here's a graphic that does a better job of conveying the point than my original post: even by the (insane) standards of the first Trump administration, #SCOTUS is receiving—and granting—a truly unprecedented number of applications for emergency relief from the federal government:
A chart that shows the number of emergency applications filed and granted by the Supreme Court during each presidency dating back to George W. Bush, with the data annualized to show the far-higher frequencies since 2017, but especially during the Trump I and Trump II administrations.
38815400
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Happy Dolly Parton Day!
090
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Joe Uchill @joeuchill.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
As someone who reported on cybersecurity for a decade, reporters not focused on cybersecurity are very bad at reporting on cybersecurity.
36312
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Incredible. First Secretary Mullin claimed that DHS had identified 15,903 noncitizens on Nevada’s voter roll. Then DHS officials told a skeptical Nevada, no no no, that’s just people we flagged. Here are the names of 185 people we KNOW aren’t citizens. All 185 were citizens. DHS got 100% wrong.
When the Department of Homeland Security sent Nevada a list of 185 names last month that it claimed identified noncitizens who had been improperly allowed to register to vote, state election officials got to work.
On Tuesday, the state sent a strongly worded rebuke to the federal government: Every single person on the list was a lawful citizen.
"As for the 185 individuals, our records indicate that they were citizens," Greg D. Ott, a deputy attorney general in Nevada, wrote, according to a copy of a letter sent to Department of Homeland Security officials obtained through open records requests.
"You have provided nothing of substance to suggest otherwise."Following the meeting, Ms. Vogt sent a clarifying email to Nevada officials. "I also wanted to be sure I clarified that we did not reduce the 15,903 to 185," she wrote. "We've manually reviewed some of the 15,903 and confirmed 185 are not U.S. Citizens."
Now, Nevada officials are saying even that 185 number is wrong. They also took issue with a letter D.H.S. sent them in early September, in which the agency reiterated its initial claims about nearly 16,000 noncitizens on the rolls and pressured state officials to review each case in a letter to Nevada officials in early September.
21188103854
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
BREAKING: The Trump administration’s third-country removal policy is blocked. The First Circuit says the third-country removal final judgment from Judge Murphy is back in effect. “Consistent with this court's September 18, 2026, Judgment, the March 16, 2026, stay pending appeal is dissolved.”
201871600
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Raphael Satter @raphae.li · 23/09/2026
Scoop: Data allegedly stolen from the FBI provides sensitive assignment descriptions for named employees, exposing members of the "China criminal enterprise unit” & “Russia Operations Section" among others. One ex-employee described it as a foreign intel "goldmine." www.reuters.com/world/hacked...
reuters.com
EXCLUSIVE: Hacked FBI data has sensitive information about employees’ intelligence roles
FBI data allegedly stolen by the hacking group ShinyHunters carries granular detail about scores of bureau officials’ job assignments, including sensitive work ‌against Chinese spies, Russian intellig...
55348
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
That explains all the litter boxes in the lavatories.
071
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Whoopsie doodle!
072
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Lizzie Dearden @lizziedearden.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
If you're following the news around Andy Burnham's speech at the UN General Assembly on how Russia has "amplified far right narratives" and "tried to stoke tensions and unrest", here's a handy article on the targeting of the migration debate inews.co.uk/news/putin-i...
inews.co.uk
How Putin is inflaming immigration tensions to spark disorder in Britain
Counter-terror leaders reveal the tactics Russia is using to sow division in the UK
95123
Reposted by Joseph Menn
ProPublica @propublica.org · 22/09/2026
15/ ProPublica is revealing the existence of the case for the first time. We reviewed a trove of evidence gathered by the FBI and thousands of pages of legal records, and have independently corroborated much of Kao’s account. This is the first piece of an ongoing series:
propublica.org
The FBI Anti-Corruption Squad Was Circling Susan Collins — Until Trump Got in the Way
After the FBI caught a defense contractor’s CEO making illegal campaign contributions, it sought to launch a sweeping political bribery probe involving Collins and others. Then the second Trump admini...
91815540
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
He didn't say no rebuys.
050
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Bradley P. Moss @bradmossesq.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
We literally created things like the UN to end that concept.
2143795
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 21/09/2026
This will make it nearly impossible to file habeas petitions, because attorneys won’t even know what federal district their client has been moved to to stage for their removal. Something like a third of all people in ICE custody. apnews.com/article/ice-...
apnews.com
AP Exclusive: ICE hides locations of thousands of detainees with final removal orders
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has stopped publicly revealing where it is holding most detainees who are subject to final deportation orders, in a move that has made it harder for lawyers an...
2821991232
Reposted by Joseph Menn
amanda moore 🐢 @noturtlesoup17.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Just searched the A numbers of the Somalis at Guantanamo Bay, and they're all gone. Will make verifying reporting much harder.
motherjones.com
The Trump administration is imprisoning Somali immigrants at Gitmo
“Nobody tell us that we’re going to Guantanamo Bay.”
2266111
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Eman El-Sherbiny @emansh.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
www.enca.com/news-top-sto...
enca.com
SA journalist Micah Reddy believed to be in custody
South African journalist Micah Reddy who had allegedly gone missing in Djibouti has been found.
053
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Adam Becker @adambecker.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Remember, Kevin Roose also wrote "The Latecomer's Guide to Crypto," which was methodically debunked by @molly.wiki and others in this brilliant piece. I don't understand why anyone takes him seriously about anything at this point. He's far too credulous to be a good journalist.
mollywhite.net
The (Edited) Latecomer's Guide to Crypto
A group of cryptocurrency researchers and critics annotate the irresponsible cryptocurrency puff piece that was originally published in the New York Times.
816831
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
It is not true that the newly announced plan to hide drones at the top of the triumphal arch is codenamed Bats in the Belfry.
2181
Reposted by Joseph Menn
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 18/09/2026
Exclusive: More American service members have died in the Middle East during the ongoing Iran war than the Pentagon has disclosed publicly, according to six U.S. officials familiar with the data.
washingtonpost.com
More U.S. troops have died amid Iran war than Pentagon has disclosed publicly
Officials who spoke with The Post expressed frustration that the additional loss of life in the Middle East is not reflected in the Defense Department’s casualty database.
14724971209
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Knight First Amendment Institute @knightcolumbia.org · 17/09/2026
Today, the Second Circuit held that border agents may search travelers’ electronic devices without suspicion. The ruling endangers the freedoms of speech, press, and association. Read more: knightcolumbia.org/content/seco...
32611
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Dan Friedman @dfriedman.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
“There’s no other nation, only Somali people in Guantanamo Bay, in the prison,” he told me. “And when we ask them why we are here, they tell us…Washington…ordered to keep Somali people in the Guantanamo Bay.” www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
motherjones.com
The Trump administration is imprisoning Somali immigrants in Gitmo
“Nobody tell us that we’re going to Guantanamo Bay.”
15676416
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Happening in a few minutes!
162
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Deep cuts from DoD.
230
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I have a feeling it’s not just the police that know everywhere we go.
03910
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Micah Lee @micahflee.com · 16/09/2026
Flock cameras are riddled with security vulnerabilities and hard-coded credentials. Here's my analysis of today's @ddosecrets.org Flock leak micahflee.com/flock-camera...
micahflee.com
Flock cameras are riddled with security vulnerabilities and hard-coded credentials
This morning, DDoSecrets published an exciting new dataset: Filesystem images of the partitions from an in-use Flock ALPR camera. 404 Media and Wired published a joint investigation into it. I downloa...
6274114
Reposted by Joseph Menn
The Verge @theverge.com · 16/09/2026
Users, mostly men in their 30s, go on dating apps and match with what they believe to be real women. Only one in four of them actually is, and that person is not a user looking for other dates but rather a paid gig worker using pregenerated replies. Read more from @yaelwrites.com: buff.ly/sYMIJJy
Verge headline: Thousands of people were catfished by scammers supercharged with AI

by Yael Grauer

Illustration of a mannequin wearing a digital mask, framed by a phone screen, the screen obscures the fact the person isn't real
55716
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Alan Stamm @alanstamm.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I've appreciated @sulliview.bsky.social since 2012 as a voice of clarity, reason and reader advocacy at NYT and WaPo. Independent insights about media strengths and missed opportunities are especially valuable now. Her weekly newsletter is free and worth supporting as a paid subscriber, as I do.
margaretsullivan.substack.com
American Crisis | Margaret Sullivan | Substack
A newsletter that explores the crucial relationship between journalism and American democracy. Click to read American Crisis, by Margaret Sullivan, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of sub...
1299
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Hacktivism vs Flock reveals tracking details.
010
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Adrian Sanabria @sawaba.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Super excited I get to interview @joemenn.bsky.social about Cult of the Dead Cow this week at the Open Source Security Summit! It's a virtual event and free to attend, so come check it out Thursday morning! #opensourcesecuritysummit opensourcesecuritysummit.com
opensourcesecuritysummit.com
Open Source Security Summit | Bitwarden
Check out the free and virtual Open Source Security Summit to learn from industry visionaries and thought leaders about the latest cybersecurity advancements in open source technology.
022
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Jeffrey Vagle @jvagle.me · 15/09/2026
Link for those interested: bitwarden.com/open-source-...
bitwarden.com
Open Source Security Summit | Bitwarden
Check out the free and virtual Open Source Security Summit to learn from industry visionaries and thought leaders about the latest cybersecurity advancements in open source technology.
012
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I'll be speaking Thursday at the online #opensourcesecuritysummit about Cult of the Dead Cow and why ethical work in software is more possible and more important than ever. This is a FREE event, with no cost to you the consumer. Hope to see you there!
12211
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Molly White @molly.wiki · 15/09/2026
Clarity Act has just surpassed 41 NOs in the cloture vote; it will not advance to a full vote. The bill is essentially dead in the water under this Congress.
26956194
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Ars Technica @arstechnica.com · 15/09/2026
Andrew Wakefield was stripped of his medical license over a fraudulent, now-retracted study that falsely claimed a link between autism and the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.
arstechnica.com
RFK Jr. headlines sold-out anti-vaccine conference alongside Andrew Wakefield
The event is hosted by Kennedy's anti-vaccine group Children's Health Defense.
24028741409
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 14/09/2026
Kremlev, the Russian who sponsored Don Jr's wedding, is a former member of the Night Wolves biker gang, went to China with Putin and is personally sanctioned by Ukraine for his role in abducting children. He praises Stalin on social media www.propublica.org/article/dona...
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
771907945
Joseph Menn @joemenn.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Investigation free with registration on the Putin buddy who funded nuptial celebrations for Don Jr. tldr: not a random Russian businessman. At all. wapo.st/3TqMVVc
wapo.st
The Putin-backed strongman who threw the Paris Games into chaos
Banned from the Games, Russia wanted to upend the Olympics. Enter Umar Kremlev and the boxing ‘gender controversy.’
185
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Flock is very serious surveillance technology that cops take very seriously: 404media.co/cops-search-...
404media.co
Cops Search Thousands of Flock Cameras for Reasons of ‘LMAO,’ ‘IDK,’ ‘Hehe,’ and ‘asdfg’
The EFF found cops writing “idiot,” “WEIRD KID,” "blah," "leave me alone," and button mashing in Flock's 'reason' box.
352194733
Reposted by Joseph Menn
Wendy Siegelman @wendysiegelman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Donald Trump Jr.’s Bahamas Wedding Secretly Bankrolled by Russian Oligarch Close to Putin Umar Kremlev - who spent hundreds of thousands on Don Jr wedding - is head of International Boxing Association which has been financed by Russian state-owned Gazprom www.propublica.org/article/dona...
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
55532