How to Surveil the Police (with William Gude)

How to Surveil the Police (with William Gude)

August 10, 2026 · 53 min

About this episode

The episode features an interview with William Gude, discussing police surveillance and accountability in Los Angeles.

Go to https://surfshark.com/404Media to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN, with the reassurance of a 30-day money-back guarantee, or just use code 404MEDIA at checkout. That's https://surfshark.com/404Media. This week, we talk to William Gude, who runs Film the Police LA. Film the Police LA is a YouTube channel, Instagram account, and Twitter account where William does exactly what it says in the name: He films police in Los Angeles to hold them accountable. William has been doing this for years, and has captured a series of police abuses during what are supposed to be routine traffic stops or other encounters that don’t need to be so tense. What I like about William’s work is that it’s a mix of very serious accountability journalism mixed with some humor—William is a funny guy whose rapport with cops in the videos he makes often palpably brings the tension down between the police and the people they have pulled over. William also documents surveillance in Los Angeles, and has taken to filming and talking to the Serve delivery robots in and around Hollywood as they often screw up, get stuck, or are messed with. We talk about the utility of filming the police, how people can get…

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Host: 404 Media

Guest: William Gude

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Organizations: Film the Police LA

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