Colin Lecher

Investigative Reporter

Colin Lecher is a reporter based in New York. His work on technology and society has received honors from the Association of Health Care Journalists, the Deadline Club, the Radio Television Digital News Association, and more.

Before joining The Markup, he was a senior reporter with The Verge. There, he reported on issues like automated cuts to healthcare, access to phone services in prisons, and the online gun market.

colin@themarkup.org @colinlecher

An illustration shows a person using a laptop in front of a blurred California privacy website, with yellow pixel-like blocks scattered across the image to suggest digital data. The stylized artwork uses a limited color palette and visual elements that evoke online privacy and information security.

Hello World

Californians can protect their personal data with one click. Help us test if it works

A new state tool lets you tell data brokers to stop tracking you. Will they comply? Help us investigate.

June 30, 2026 8:00 a.m. UTC

A woman wearing glasses speaks into a microphone during a congressional hearing while holding a blue pen in one hand. A nameplate reading “MS. HASSAN” sits in front of her as other attendees appear out of focus in the background.

Privacy

It’s easier for Californians to escape data brokers following a Markup investigation

The Markup and CalMatters showed how website code could make it harder for Californians to exercise their right to remove personal data. Now much of that code has disappeared.

May 22, 2026 8:00 a.m. UTC

Privacy

Websites break California privacy law at ‘industrial scale,’ survey finds

Tech companies like Google, Facebook and Microsoft are ignoring data controls mandated under California law, researchers say.

April 21, 2026 8:00 a.m. UTC

A close view shows a person using a laptop displaying a news website with a headline and photo on the screen. Another laptop sits nearby on the desk, and the scene is set in a modern office environment with glass walls and overhead lighting.

Election 2026

It was John Wayne’s political club. Now it’s spending millions on online influence

The Lincoln Media Foundation has spent big to push ‘local’ conservative messaging

March 9, 2026 8:30 a.m. UTC

Privacy

Following Markup investigation, Congress finds data brokers cost consumers tens of billions of dollars

A congressional investigation estimates broker breaches have cost consumers $20 billion in identity theft. Major brokers now promise to make it easier to opt out of their databases.

February 27, 2026 1:15 p.m. UTC

A person in a dark coat and light blue tie speaks at a wooden podium outdoors, smiling slightly as a microphone stands in front of them, with the pale yellow facade and white railing of a government building blurred in the background.

Artificial Intelligence

Mamdani to kill the NYC AI chatbot we caught telling businesses to break the law

New York mayor says terminating the ‘unusable’ bot will help close a budget gap

January 30, 2026 12:00 p.m. UTC

Privacy

‘We’re basically pushers:’ How a battle over kids on social media is unfolding in two California courtrooms

Lawsuits in California federal and state court are unearthing documents embarrassing to tech companies — and may be a tipping point into federal regulation.

January 30, 2026 8:30 a.m. UTC