Rephonic
Artwork for Lock and Code

Lock and Code

Malwarebytes
Cybersecurity
Data Privacy
Facebook
Privacy
Malwarebytes
Social Media
Google
Scams
Surveillance
Ransomware
Data Collection
Adolescent Mental Health Crisis
Smartphones
Online Tracking
Funeral Livestream Scam
Pig Butchering Scams
Anxiety
Depression
Online Scams
Cryptocurrency

Lock and Code tells the human stories within cybersecurity, privacy, and technology. Rogue robot vacuums, hacked farm tractors, and catastrophic software vulnerabilities—it’s all here.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes158Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Tech NewsTechnologyNews

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Lock and Code

Latest Episodes

A dreadful thing happens far too often whenever an older adult falls for a scam: They get blamed for it. Not the scammers who lied and cheated their victim out of money. Not law enforcement for failing to recover funds. Not even the Big Tech companie... more

Big news: Lock and Code is nominated for a Webby Award! You can help us win the People’s Voice Award by voting here.

---

We have to talk about killer robots. No, not the Terminator, and not some Boston Dynamics robot run amok. We have to talk inste... more

Forget the runaway train thrillingly shot in Buster Keaton’s 1926 film “The General,” and never mind the charging locomotive rescued by actors Denzel Washington and Chris Pine in the 2010 film “Unstoppable,” as there’s a far more frequent (and far le... more

On February 8, during the Super Bowl in the United States, countless owners of one of the most popular smart products today got a bit of a wakeup call: Their Ring doorbells could be used to see a whole lot more than they knew.

In a commercial that w... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

Recent Guests

Marti DeLiema
Assistant Professor at the University of Minnesota in the School of Social Work
University of Minnesota
Episode: Big Tech can stop scams. They just don’t (feat. Marti DeLiema)
Peter Asaro
Chair of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
Episode: Killer robots are here. Now what? (feat. Peter Asaro)
Rachel Swan
Transportation reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco Chronicle
Episode: This is all it takes to stop a train (feat. Rachel Swan)
Matthew Guariglia
Senior Policy Analyst
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Episode: Won't you see my neighbor? (feat. Matt Guariglia)
Zach Hinkle
Senior Social Media Manager for Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes
Episode: What can't you say on TikTok?
MinJi Pae
Social Media Content Creator for Malwarebytes
Malwarebytes
Episode: What can't you say on TikTok?
Cory Doctorow
Author and digital rights activist
Episode: Enshittification is ruining everything online (feat. Cory Doctorow)
Will Freeman
Founder of the ALPR tracking project DeFlock Me
Episode: ALPRs are recording your daily drive (feat. Will Freeman)
Erin West
Founder of Operation Shamrock and former Deputy District Attorney of Santa Clara County
Operation Shamrock
Episode: Pig butchering is the next “humanitarian global crisis” (feat. Erin West)

Host

David Ruiz
Host of Lock and Code

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 133 ratings
  • Hadn’t heard of pig butchering - but related

    Your shows are always so interesting. This one particularly hit. It wasn’t pig butchering specifically, but my husband got taken down by a group selling a trading platform for cryptos. Their method of getting your money was different. You login to their pretend crypto platform with impressive looking live charts. While your representative is on the line, you login to your bank to transfer money. They then have your bank login information. They login as you and drain your accounts. They nurture y... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Liveinyourbody
    United States4 months ago
  • Great topics, great content

    Put a bark collar on Zack Hinkle. Shock him for every extraneous “like”.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    “Like, cool, dude”
    United States9 months ago
  • So interesting but…

    This is an important app. So why the sing-song bedtime story presentation? Please… calm down.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Systrophe
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • I can’t do it

    I’d love to hear this podcast, but I can’t stand the host’s super-special voice. Can’t do it. It’s too bad.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    KEnriquez1
    Canadaa year ago
  • Interview with gen Z teen was frustrating

    I was really intrigued by the questions that David introduced in the recent re-aired episode intro on the interview with Nitya. For context, I’m in my mid-twenties (cusp of gen Z and millennial) so I find the generational difference in online awareness really interesting. Thus, I found the interview with Nitya to be frustrating and boring. Her answers felt quite judgmental of others’ experiences with social media. No context was given on who she is - i understand her parents may want privacy but... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    nicholasname
    United States3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise timely, focused coverage of privacy and security topics.
Guests and hosts are described as knowledgeable and credible.
Show is appreciated for accessible explanations of complex issues.
Some reviews note subjective or narrative presentation at times, but content remains engaging.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#190
United Kingdom/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#196
Poland/Technology
Apple Podcasts
#209
Chile/Technology

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Big Tech can stop scams. They just don’t (feat. Marti DeLiema)
Q: Who is susceptible to a financial scam?
Susceptibility spans all ages, but different types of scams target different groups; aging processes, social isolation, and changing financial needs influence risk, and the answer isn't one-size-fits-all, requiring tailored, repeated education.
This is all it takes to stop a train (feat. Rachel Swan)
Q: On that, is there anything being updated right now, and is there a schedule for the big upgrades like the new communications-based train control?
The host asks about current updates and scheduling; the guest explains there's awareness of ongoing improvements, but the timeline for the comprehensive upgrade remains uncertain and tightly tied to funding and political will.
Killer robots are here. Now what? (feat. Peter Asaro)
Q: Are we already at the point where these technologies can be deployed in warfare?
The episode suggests that the technology exists in various forms (e.g., autonomous drones, visual navigation, targeting algorithms), but deployment is constrained by social, ethical, and legal norms, as well as the need for human oversight in many scenarios.
Killer robots are here. Now what? (feat. Peter Asaro)
Q: What is a killer robot?
A killer robot is an autonomous system capable of selecting and engaging targets without human input, though many argue for maintaining meaningful human control and strict norms to prevent loss of accountability in warfare.
Won't you see my neighbor? (feat. Matt Guariglia)
Q: What happened after the Super Bowl ad in terms of policy and public perception?
The ad raised serious privacy concerns about the breadth of surveillance and object recognition infrastructure, contributing to Ring ending a partnership with Flock and triggering discussions on civil liberties and accountability.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Lock and Code

What is Lock and Code about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Audience tends to gravitate toward deep dives on privacy, surveillance, and technology policy, with a steady stream of interviews featuring researchers, policy advocates, and security practitioners. The show consistently covers how data collection, law enforcement tech, and platform design affect civil liberties and everyday technology use, often highlighting real-world cases and regulatory questions. A standout throughline is translating complex topics into practical privacy guidance and accountability discussions, making it helpful for listeners who want both context and actionable takeaways. The format tends to mix policy analysis with tech storytelling, and recurring guests from think tanks, advocacy groups, and tech companies add credi... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Lock and Code?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Lock and Code. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Lock and Code and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Lock and Code get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Lock and Code, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Lock and Code?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Lock and Code, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Lock and Code have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Lock and Code has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Lock and Code?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Lock and Code:

1. Click Here
2. The Gray Area with Sean Illing
3. The 404 Media Podcast
4. Hacking Humans
5. Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

How many episodes of Lock and Code are there?

Lock and Code launched 6 years ago and published 158 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Lock and Code?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Lock and Code?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Lock and Code from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Lock and Code?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Lock and Code. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Lock and Code?

Recent guests on Lock and Code include:

1. Marti DeLiema
2. Peter Asaro
3. Rachel Swan
4. Matthew Guariglia
5. Zach Hinkle
6. MinJi Pae
7. Cory Doctorow
8. Will Freeman

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days