David Ruiz

Written Work

I write about privacy, cybersecurity, surveillance, and digital rights. What follows is a survey of outlets where my writing has appeared, those who have sought my perspective, and the subjects that occupy my attention.

Malwarebytes Labs

As a writer for Malwarebytes Labs, I report on online privacy legislation and analyze policy proposals impacting digital rights. My coverage spans data breaches, stalkerware, online tracking, and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity threats.

Below is a sampling of my work:

• Microsoft AI "Recall" feature records everything, secures far less — An analysis of Microsoft's Copilot+ tool that screenshots a device's activity every few seconds, and the privacy failures baked into its design.
• In conversation: Bruce Schneier on AI-powered mass spying — A long-form conversation with security expert Bruce Schneier on the future of AI-enabled surveillance and what it means for everyday privacy.
• Stalkerware and online stalking are accepted by Americans. Why? — An examination of survey data revealing that nearly half of young Americans find online stalking "harmless," and what that normalization means for domestic abuse survivors.
• What privacy gets you — An essay on why privacy matters, what it actually provides, and why the fight for it is worth the effort.

Electronic Frontier Foundation

At the EFF, I wrote about NSA surveillance, federal surveillance programs, encryption policy, cross-border data transfer agreements, and anti-SLAPP lawsuits and legislation. I worked as a writer and policy analyst, translating complex policy into accessible advocacy.