Ryan Gallagher

{{Short description|Scottish investigative journalist}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2018}}

{{for|another person|Ryan Gallagher (singer)}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Ryan Gallagher

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| birth_name = Ryan Gallagher

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| birth_place = Edinburgh, Scotland, UK

| occupation = Journalist

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| alma_mater = University of Edinburgh (MSc)
{{nowrap|University of Abertay, Dundee (BA)}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.rjgallagher.co.uk/|rjgallagher.co.uk}}

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Ryan Gallagher is a Scottish investigative journalist. He writes about security and civil liberties for Bloomberg News, and previously worked for The Intercept reporting on classified documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden.{{cite web | last = | first = | title = Ryan Gallagher – The Intercept – First Look Media | work = The Intercept | date = 27 October 2014 | url = https://firstlook.org/theintercept/staff/ryan-gallagher }} He has previously worked for The Intercept, The Guardian, Slate, and the Financial Times.{{cite web | last = Gold | first = Hadas |authorlink=Hadas Gold|title = Gawker's John Cook to First Look | work = Politico | date = 3 March 2013 | url = http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2014/03/gawkers-john-cook-to-first-look-184845.html }}{{cite web | last = Beaujon | first = Andrew | title = First Look adds more journalists, plans to launch first publication next week | work = Poynter | date = 6 February 2014 | url = http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/mediawire/238738/first-look-adds-more-journalists-plans-to-launch-first-publication-next-week/ }}

In August 2014, Gallagher revealed the existence of ICREACH, an NSA search engine that he alleged is "the largest system for internally sharing secret surveillance records in the United States."{{cite web | last = Gallagher | first = Ryan | title = The Surveillance Engine: How the NSA Built Its Own Secret Google | work = The Intercept | date = 25 Aug 2014 | url = https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/08/25/icreach-nsa-cia-secret-google-crisscross-proton/ }}{{cite web | last = Winter | first = Michael | title = NSA built 'Google-like' search engine to share data | work = USA Today | date = 25 Aug 2014 | url = https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/25/nsa-google-search-engine/14594399/ }}{{cite web | last = Pullam-Moore | first = Charles | title = Google-like NSA search engine implemented to learn about civilians | work = PBS | date = 25 Aug 2014 | url = https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/google-like-nsa-search-engine-icreach-used-learn-civilians }} In March 2014, with Glenn Greenwald, he revealed a joint NSA and British Government Communications Headquarters program to infect millions of computers with malware,{{cite news|last=Gallagher|first=Ryan|title=How the NSA Plans to Infect 'Millions' of Computers with Malware|url=https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/03/12/nsa-plans-infect-millions-computers-malware/|accessdate=27 October 2014|newspaper=The Intercept|date=12 March 2014|author2=Greenwald, Glenn|authorlink2=Glenn Greenwald}} a report that prompted Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to personally call U.S. President Barack Obama to complain.{{cite web | last = Holpuch | first = Amanda | title = Mark Zuckerberg: US government surveillance is a threat to the internet | work = The Guardian | date = 13 March 2014 | url = https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/mar/13/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-us-government-surveillance }}{{cite web | last = Byers | first = Alex | title = Mark Zuckerberg calls Obama after NSA report | work = Politico | date = 13 March 2014 | url = http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/mark-zuckerberg-barack-obama-nsa-104645.html }}{{cite web | last = Pagliery | first = Jose | title = Mark Zuckerberg calls Obama to complain about NSA | work = CNN | date = 14 March 2014 | url = https://money.cnn.com/2014/03/13/technology/security/mark-zuckerberg-nsa/ }}

In 2013, Gallagher was threatened by a private security contractor while working on a story exposing the use of facial recognition technology at the Statue of Liberty in New York.{{cite web | last = Pinto | first = Nick | title = Will There Be Face-Recognition Surveillance at the Statue of Liberty? | work = Village Voice | date = 1 May 2013 | url = http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2013/05/will_there_be_f.php }}{{cite web | last = Doctorow | first = Cory | title = Rumored Statue of Liberty face-recognition supplier harasses and threatens journalist | work = Boing Boing | date = 30 April 2013 | url = http://boingboing.net/2013/04/30/rumored-statue-of-liberty-face.html }}{{cite web | last = Cushing | first = Tim | title = Private Security Contractors Try To Shut Down Journalist Using Legal Threats And Claims Of Harassment | work = Techdirt | date = 30 April 2013 | url = http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130429/16335122886/private-security-contractors-try-to-shut-down-journalist-using-legal-threats-claims-harassment.shtml }}

He is listed on the New America Foundation's website as a Future Tense Fellow under a program that seeks "to bring exceptionally promising new voices and ideas into the nation's public discourse."{{cite web | last = | first = | title = New America Fellows | work = New America Foundation | date = 27 October 2014 | url = http://newamerica.net/about/fellows }}