Jeff Kao

Computational Journalist

Photo of Jeff Kao

Jeff Kao was a computational journalist at ProPublica who used data science to cover technology. His collaboration with The New York Times on Chinese government censorship of the coronavirus outbreak was a part of the newspaper’s winning entry for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize for public service. His project on videos posted to Parler during the Capitol riots was cited throughout President Donald Trump’s second impeachment hearing and won the 2021 IRE Award for breaking news. His work has also won the Loeb Award for international reporting (2022), the SOPA Award for journalistic innovation (2022) and the SABEW Award for technology reporting (2019).

Kao previously worked as a machine learning engineer at Atrium LTS, where he developed natural language processing systems for legal services. He holds a law degree from Columbia Law School, where he was the editor in chief of the Columbia Science and Technology Law Review, and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Millions of Americans’ Medical Images and Data Are Available on the Internet. Anyone Can Take a Peek.

Hundreds of computer servers worldwide that store patient X-rays and MRIs are so insecure that anyone with a web browser or a few lines of computer code can view patient records. One expert warned about it for years.

Aggression Detectors: The Unproven, Invasive Surveillance Technology Schools Are Using to Monitor Students

In response to mass shootings, some schools and hospitals are installing microphones equipped with algorithms. The devices purport to identify stress and anger before violence erupts. Our testing found them less than reliable.

Methodology: How We Tested an Aggression Detection Algorithm

An in-depth look at software that claims to spot aggression from your voice.

The Trade Secret: Firms That Promised High-Tech Ransomware Solutions Almost Always Just Pay the Hackers

As ransomware attacks crippled businesses and law enforcement agencies, two U.S. data recovery firms claimed to offer an ethical way out. Instead, they typically paid the ransom and charged victims extra.

We’re Reporting on Ransomware. Do You Know Something About an Attack?

Has your organization been hit by ransomware? Did you hire a data recovery firm? Do you know how an attack works from the inside? We’d like to hear from you.

Georgia Officials Quietly Patched Security Holes They Said Didn’t Exist

A ProPublica analysis found that the state was busily fixing problems in its voter registration hours after the office of Secretary of State Brian Kemp, the Republican candidate for governor, had insisted the system was secure.

File-Sharing Software on State Election Servers Could Expose Them to Intruders

A ProPublica analysis found election computer servers in Wisconsin and Kentucky could be susceptible to hacking. Wisconsin shut down its service in response to our inquiries.

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