Micah Lee is an American investigative journalist, technologist, programmer, and engineer specializing in privacy tools, secure communications, and reporting on political funding networks and surveillance technology. He worked as a senior staff writer at The Intercept from approximately 2017 to 2023, contributing to major stories including those stemming from the Edward Snowden NSA leaks. During his time there, Lee developed open-source software like Qubes Whistleblower, a secure dropbox system for journalists to receive submissions from sources anonymously. His technical expertise in cryptography and Linux-based secure operating systems has positioned him as a prominent advocate for digital security in journalism. After leaving The Intercept, Lee has pursued independent journalism through his personal website micahflee.com and Substack newsletter 'News from Underground.' His investigations have mapped networks of political influence, including exposés on wealthy donors such as Robert J. Shillman, whom he has critically reported on regarding funding of controversial political causes. Lee's work often intersects technology and politics, covering topics like election security, dark money in campaigns, and tech industry accountability, establishing adversarial relationships with subjects of his reporting.