About Hacking, But Legal
Hacking, But Legal publishes original investigative journalism and analysis on crime, security, technology, privacy, civil liberties, policy, and democracy.
This is not a curated newsletter of external links—it is a space for sustained reporting on how systems fail, who bears the consequences, and what can be done.
My work connects technical problems to their political and human costs.
As a threat researcher and hands-on practitioner of information security, I treat cybersecurity not as an abstract engineering discipline, but as critical infrastructure for democratic participation, personal safety, and institutional accountability.
Who This Is For
If you follow the intersection of power and technology, this is your place.
My writing assumes technical literacy but does not require it. Complex systems are explained clearly, not dumbed down.
Recent investigations have documented surveillance operations by private intelligence firms, the degradation of safety infrastructure on major platforms, and how regulatory gaps leave vulnerable populations at risk.
Recurring themes include:
Cognitive warfare, non-linear warfare, and disinformation
How adversaries exploit infrastructure weaknesses, and what defenses actually work
The gaps between policies and enforcement; how design shapes harm
Who deploys surveillance, how it is misused, and what legal frameworks (or lack thereof) enable abuse
Preparing for crises in ways that actually hold up under pressure
About Jackie Singh
I have spent nearly two decades working at the intersection of infosec, policy, and democratic governance.
My background includes the US Army, cleared defense contracting, commercial incident response, director-level roles, and direct involvement in helping secure a major U.S. presidential campaign in 2020.
My analysis is regularly cited by Bloomberg, CNN, BBC, The Washington Post, USA Today, Mother Jones, Vice, and Newsweek. I served as a strategist at the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (S.T.O.P.), which challenges mass surveillance and advocates for privacy protection.
I’ve contributed to cybersecurity policy and diverse research on insider threats, social engineering, and the security implications of platform design choices.
This work has unfortunately led to threats, libel, and harassment.
Rather than be silenced, I’ve forged ahead with documenting how coordinated harassment campaigns operate, and what platforms fail to do about them.
Why Become a Member
Directly supporting my publication means:
Funding independent investigation — No corporate underwriting, no advertising, no conflicts of interest shaping what gets reported
Enabling sustained reporting — Investigations that take weeks or months to complete properly, require legal review, or demand time and resources most outlets cannot afford
Helping others get access — Members subsidize free access for everyone else. A paid subscription means students, journalists, activists, and people in countries with limited resources can read this work without barriers
Direct conversation — Members can engage with reporting, ask questions, and shape what gets covered next
Supporting accountability — Every subscription funds work that holds institutions accountable for failures that affect real people
This model assumes that serious investigative work should not be locked behind paywalls. Members make that possible by funding work that everyone can read.
My stories reach thousands of readers.
The work continues in different forms elsewhere, too—strategy, tweets, testimony, direct collaboration with journalists and researchers. This publication is one part of a larger effort to make these problems visible and, where possible, addressable.
