Investigative Journalist: Online Privacy and Data Surveillance

Job description

Investigative Journalist: Online Privacy and Data Surveillance

Employment Type: Full-time Location: DC or NY, USA, or Remote

Minimum Experience: 3 years

Pixalate is an online trust and safety platform that protects businesses, consumers and children from deceptive, fraudulent and non-compliant mobile, CTV apps and websites. Our software and data have been used to unearth multiple high profile criminal and illegal surveillance cases. As the ad tech industry undergoes a major shift towards greater transparency and protection against fraud, Pixalate is uniquely positioned as the first MRC-accredited, omni-channel fraud protection provider focused on reducing fraud, not just measuring it.

• Gizmodo: An iCloud Feature Is Enabling a $65 Million Scam, New Research Says

• Adweek: A 7-Figure Ad Fraud Scheme Running on Roku Underlines Murkiness of CTV

• Washington Post: Your kids’ apps are spying on them

• Pro Publica: Porn, Piracy, Fraud: What Lurks Inside Google’s Black Box Ad Empire

• ABC7 News: The State of Children's Privacy Online

• NBC News: How many apps are tracking your children

Our team of lawyers, data scientists, engineers, economists, and researchers span globally with a presence in California, New York, Washington DC, London, and Singapore.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Pixalate is looking for a highly motivated and experienced Investigative Journalist with expertise in privacy compliance. This role involves leading thorough investigations into privacy practices across the advertising ecosystem, focusing on compliance with global data protection regulations and surfacing areas of critical risk to the broader digital advertising industry. You will carve the storylines in our investigative research into privacy compliance and play a crucial role in enhancing accountability in the industry, helping to protect businesses and consumers alike. You will collaborate with a diverse team of data scientists, economists, and legal experts to produce impactful reports that resonate with global ad tech stakeholders, including publishers, advertisers, and advertising platforms, as well as policymakers, regulators, and the public. If you have a passion for investigative journalism and a solid background in privacy compliance, we encourage you to apply.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the narrative of Pixalate investigations into privacy compliance risks within the advertising supply chain, including benchmarks and uncovering deceptive practices
• Analyze large datasets with data scientists and engineers to extract meaningful insights that drive your investigative work.
• Oversee the production high-quality, in-depth reports and articles that clearly communicate complex findings to a wide audience, including clear and robust methodologies
• Stay updated on industry trends, particularly in privacy compliance and ad tech, to inform and guide your investigative efforts.
• Build and maintain relationships with industry insiders, regulators, and stakeholders to support your research.
• Present findings to internal teams and external partners, including media and industry events.
• Ensure investigations adhere to the highest journalistic and ethical standards.

QUALIFICATION

• BA in Journalism, Communications, or related field

• 3+ years of professional experience as an investigative journalist

• A deep understanding of the global privacy compliance landscape, particularly as it relates to digital advertising and consumer targeting

• Preferred: A deep understanding of the ad tech supply chain (i.e., programmatic advertising)

• Strong analytical and quantitative skills

• Strong critical thinking and ability to generate intuitive conclusions from complex datasets, including identifying and interpreting patterns within data

• Solid understanding of basic probability and statistics

• Ability to work independently and solve complex problems with limited supervision

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a high attention to detail

BENEFITS

We focus on doing things differently and challenge each other to be the best we can be.

• Monthly internet reimbursement

• Casual, remote work environment

• Hybrid, flexible hours

• Opportunity for advancement

• Fun annual team events

• Being part of a high-performing team that wants to win and have fun doing it

• Extremely competitive compensation