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

Digital illustration of the words “Gentle January” over a field of pixelated flowers; in the right-hand corner there is the number “4” placed on a stack of post-its

Gentle January

Lock Down Your Accounts with Extra Authentication

Two-factor logins add security beyond your password

January 8, 2024 08:00 ET

A children’s book style illustration of a child reading a textbook online, as a scary monster sucks up all her browser history, simulating the way the online trackers on popular kids websites quietly suck up identifying information about youth.

Pixel Hunt

Facebook Watches Teens Online As They Prep for College

An investigation by The Markup found Meta’s pixel tracking students from kindergarten to college

November 22, 2023 05:00 ET

Image of U.S. President Joe Biden seated at a desk, passing a pen to Vice President Kamala Harris, who is standing. The background screen shows the words 'Artificial Intelligence' with the subheading 'Safety, Security, and Trust' displayed prominently.

News

The Problems Biden’s AI Order Must Address

The Markup gives a section-by-section breakdown of the summarized executive order on artificial intelligence

November 1, 2023 14:57 ET

Digital illustration of an exhausted female nurse sleeping at her desk. On top of her there are vignettes of her doing various activities including replacing an IV bag, running, giving a patient a cup of water, working at a computer and injecting someone’s arm with a needle.

Working for an Algorithm

What Happens When Nurses Are Hired Like Ubers

“You basically just hope that nothing goes wrong,” a nurse said about a shift with the app Clipboard

October 5, 2023 08:00 ET

Hello World

Three Class Action Lawsuits Follow Markup Pixel Investigations

Our investigative series on Facebook trackers continues to have impact

September 30, 2023 08:00 ET

Pixel Hunt

FTC Warns Tax Prep Companies Against Invasive Online Tracking

Sharing private information could lead to penalties, agency says after Markup investigation

September 19, 2023 13:13 ET

Photograph of Senator Elizabeth Warren at a podium. She is wearing glasses and a blue blazer.

Pixel Hunt

Congressional Report Finds Meta and Tax Prep Companies “Recklessly” Shared Taxpayers’ Data

The investigation was opened in response to work published last year by The Markup

July 12, 2023 05:00 ET

Digital illustration of a photo collage, with various vignettes of maps. There are shadows of a person hunched over and leaning against a wall.

The Government Has a Controversial Idea to Track Mental Health Crisis Calls

Why the national 988 hotline may start pinpointing callers

June 24, 2023 08:00 ET

Surreal digital illustration of various vignettes and closeups of people in pain and suffering. At the center of the composition is a phone showing a text conversation with a crisis center.

Pixel Hunt

Suicide Hotlines Promise Anonymity. Dozens of Their Websites Send Sensitive Data to Facebook

The Markup found many sites tied to the national mental health crisis hotline transmitted information on visitors through the Meta Pixel

June 13, 2023 06:00 ET

Photo illustration of a hand reaching out for help. The left half of it has a darker skin tone, while the right half has a whiter skin tone. In the background are torn photos of homeless encampments and tents, as well as numbers and abstract shapes.

Show Your Work

How We Investigated L.A.’s Homelessness Scoring System

Year after year, White people have been rated highly “vulnerable” more often than Black people

February 28, 2023 08:00 ET

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