About – Public 404

🎯 Mission & Approach

Public 404 documents the systematic removal of federal information from government websites following the January 2025 presidential transition. Our approach is:

Human-led: Real researchers verify claims, cross-reference sources, and conduct oversight
AI-assisted: Modern tools help us process large datasets, organize information, and maintain the site
Evidence-based: We prioritize verifiable sources, archived snapshots, and documented changes
Transparent: Our methods, sources, and limitations are publicly documented

🛠️ Tools Used in Research

This project leverages a combination of traditional research methods and modern technology to track, verify, and document federal information removals:

AI Assistant

Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Anthropic)

Primary AI assistant for content analysis, research organization, and site development. Helps structure complex information and maintain consistency across documentation.

Follow: @AnthropicAI [Link Removed] on Twitter

Data Analysis

Wolfram Alpha & WolframCloud

Computational intelligence for data visualization, statistical analysis, and trend modeling. Used for ICE detention data analysis and creating charts/graphs for policy research.

Learn more: WolframAlpha.com

Development Platform

Replit

Cloud-based development environment for building and hosting the Public 404 website. Enables rapid iteration and collaborative development of transparency tools. This entire project is developed and hosted on Replit's platform.

Follow: @replit.bsky.social on Bluesky

Web Archiving

Internet Archive / Wayback Machine

Primary source for comparing before/after snapshots of federal websites. Essential for documenting what content existed before removal.

Access: web.archive.org

Web Archiving

Archive.today

Alternative archiving service for creating real-time snapshots of current 404 errors and missing content. Useful for capturing immediate evidence.

Access: archive.today

Data Sources

End-of-Term Web Archive

Official preservation project capturing federal websites during presidential transitions. Critical baseline for identifying what was removed.

Access: eotarchive.org

Verification Partners

EDGI (Environmental Data & Governance Initiative)

Academic research collective tracking federal data removals. Their systematic monitoring provides crucial verification for our claims.

Access: envirodatagov.org

Legal Research

Knight First Amendment Institute

Legal advocacy organization filing FOIA lawsuits and transparency challenges. Their court filings provide authoritative documentation of removals.

Access: knightcolumbia.org

FOIA Platform

MuckRock

Platform for filing and tracking Freedom of Information Act requests. Used to obtain official documentation of website changes and agency directives.

Access: muckrock.com

📊 Research Methodology

Our research process combines multiple verification methods:

Archive Comparison: Before/after snapshots using Wayback Machine and End-of-Term archives
Cross-Referencing: Multiple independent sources confirming the same removals
Legal Documentation: Court filings, FOIA releases, and official agency communications
Community Verification: Collaboration with transparency organizations and affected researchers
Ongoing Monitoring: Regular checks for restorations, partial returns, or new removals

Use these advanced Google search modifiers to identify what might be missing:

site:cdc.gov/hiv intitle:prep
site:cdc.gov/hiv inurl:group/youth
site:cdc.gov inurl:prep -filetype:pdf

📋 Real Verification Example: IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service

Claim to Verify: "IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service reports removed from taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/reports/ around January 26, 2025"

Step 1 - Direct Site Check:

✅ Visit https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/reports/
✅ Result: Site is live and fully accessible
✅ 2024 Annual Report to Congress available
✅ Multiple years of reports accessible

Step 2 - Wayback Machine Comparison:

🔍 Check January 25, 2025 vs January 27, 2025 snapshots
🔍 Compare with current status

Step 3 - Document Findings:

📝 Status: VERIFIED - NO REMOVAL
📝 Update sources validation table
📝 Correct any inaccurate references

Outcome: The claim was inaccurate - likely based on misunderstanding of temporary administrative changes during presidential transition rather than actual content removal.

View Full Verification Guide →

📊 Analytics & Privacy

In keeping with our transparency values, we use Simple Analytics for website metrics. This service is privacy-focused and:

No IP Address Collection: Simple Analytics does not collect or store IP addresses
No Cookies: No tracking cookies or local storage used
No Personal Identifiers: No user IDs, fingerprinting, or cross-site tracking
GDPR Compliant: No consent required due to privacy-first approach
Do Not Track Respected: Analytics disabled if DNT header is set
Bot Filtering: Automated traffic excluded from analytics

Our public analytics dashboard shows aggregated, anonymized metrics to demonstrate the reach and impact of our documentation efforts.

⚠️ Limitations & Transparency

We're committed to transparency about what we know and don't know:

Work in Progress: Some claims are still being verified and are clearly marked as such
Source Validation: Our Sources Validation Table tracks verification status
Living Document: We update information as new evidence becomes available
Community Input: We welcome corrections, additional sources, and verification assistance

🤝 Get Involved

This is a community effort. You can help by:

Reporting: Submit missing content you've discovered
Verifying: Help us confirm claims with additional sources
Advocating: Contact your representatives about transparency
Archiving: Help preserve at-risk content before it disappears
Sharing: Spread awareness using @404public on Bluesky

About Public 404

Methodology, tools, and transparency in tracking federal information removals