Technology is profoundly shaping the way societies function, from data privacy to algorithmic justice and surveillance. As innovation accelerates, the voices that illuminate the dark corners of the tech world are more critical than ever. Among these voices, Dhruv Mehrotra stands out as a persistent, investigative force dedicated to shining light on complex and sometimes hidden aspects of our digital landscape.
TL;DR
Dhruv Mehrotra is an investigative tech journalist known for uncovering obscure and often uncomfortable truths about surveillance, data privacy, and the role of government and corporate institutions in shaping digital rights. His work blends technical skill with storytelling, making complex topics accessible and impactful. From mapping jails with drones to revealing secret databases, his contributions continue to stir necessary debates around power and accountability in tech. He is one of today’s essential voices in responsible technology reporting.
Who Is Dhruv Mehrotra?
Dhruv Mehrotra is not your average journalist. Combining a background in computer science and investigative journalism, he uses data analysis, engineering, and ethical hacking to uncover powerful narratives. His work primarily revolves around privacy, surveillance, AI ethics, and the intersection of technology and civil liberties. Whether it’s building custom tools to analyze leaked documents or flying a drone over a prison to map inmate activity, Mehrotra’s approach is a hybrid of precision and purpose.
Currently a reporter at Wired Magazine, Dhruv previously worked with notable outlets like The Atlantic, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, and The Intercept. He has contributed to a series of exposés that not only reveal information but also lead to measurable change in public awareness and policy discussions.
A Unique Blend of Skills
What makes Dhruv Mehrotra different from many of his peers is his unique blend of skills. He is not just a writer; he is a researcher, programmer, and ethical hacker. He uses tools and methodologies more commonly found in cybersecurity or data science than in traditional journalism.
- Programming Expertise: He builds custom scripts and data visualization tools to sift through large datasets or simulate surveillance systems.
- Hardware Hacking: He’s known for using drones, GPS spoofers, and even radio frequency decoders as part of his reporting toolkit.
- Data Storytelling: Unlike high-level summaries, he offers readers a visually compelling, data-rich understanding of the issues.
Thanks to this fusion of skills, Mehrotra is capable not only of explaining existing technologies but of experimenting with them himself to reveal flaws, abuse, or inequities.
Key Investigations and Impactful Stories
Dhruv Mehrotra’s reporting impresses not only due to its technical rigor but also because of the real-world impact it achieves. Some of his most compelling investigations have tackled the relationships between surveillance, policing, and marginalized communities.
“Your Car Is Tracking You”
In one Wired feature titled “Your Car is Tracking You and Selling Data”, Mehrotra exposed how modern vehicles increasingly function as surveillance tools, collecting data ranging from location history to behavior behind the wheel. Notably, he successfully retrieved and analyzed data from his own car using a combination of software tools, showcasing just how much information is being gathered without drivers’ explicit consent.
This piece sparked a broader discussion about consumer data rights and transparency in the auto industry. It also led readers to question whether owning a physical object still implies full ownership in the digital age.
Tracking Incarcerated Lives
Another jaw-dropping project involved mapping rates of incarceration using aerial surveillance. By deploying a custom-made drone system, Mehrotra was able to construct a 3D map of a prison complex and track movement patterns. The goal wasn’t merely to expose systemic issues—it was to visualize and humanize them.
This powerful investigation not only demonstrated the fusion of journalism and engineering but also provided a new perspective on how confined spaces shape human behavior.
Data Brokers and Digital ID
Mehrotra has also explored how corporations and governments collaborate to build enormous databases on individuals through so-called “data brokers.” His reporting at Reveal showed how personal data—often gathered without meaningful consent—is traded and used in the creation of “digital dossiers” that can affect everything from credit scoring to law enforcement surveillance.
In his article on the Automated Targeting System used by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, he dissected a shadowy scoring algorithm that assigns “risk assessments” to travelers, even U.S. citizens. He didn’t rely on hearsay—he actually acquired the files the system used, reverse-engineered the logic, and reported on the opaqueness and dangers of such a system to civil liberties.
Empowering the Tech-Literate Journalist
What Mehrotra represents is not just journalistic talent but a vision for the future of tech reporting. As moats of information continue to rise around complex digital systems, the demand for journalists who can explore them from the inside out will only increase.
To that end, Mehrotra is also an advocate for open-source tools and collaborative investigations. He frequently shares his methodologies so that other journalists, technologists, and even enthusiastic amateurs can replicate or build upon his work. This community-driven approach ensures that transparency isn’t limited to just the topics he investigates—it also applies to the way he works.
The Ethics Behind The Code
Of course, any form of investigative journalism that crosses into hacking or surveillance territories raises ethical questions. Dhruv Mehrotra is deeply aware of the lines between invasion of privacy and holding power to account. As such, his work always maintains a strong ethical backbone: he seeks consent whenever possible, minimizes harm, and ensures his actions serve public interest above all else.
It’s this moral rigor that strengthens the reliability and credibility of his tech journalism. Unlike sensational headlines or clickbait narratives, Mehrotra’s stories are nuanced and respectful of the human lives they touch.
Recognition and Forward Momentum
In recent years, Dhruv’s work has been recognized with awards and speaking invitations at global journalism and technology conferences. But more than acclaim, the substance lies in the slow but steady policy responses his investigations inspire—proposals for better data protection, new standards for transparency, and increased public awareness about how data ecosystems work (or fail to).
Why Dhruv Mehrotra Matters
In a world where technology often outpaces regulation, and secrecy can shield misconduct, journalism like Mehrotra’s becomes critical. It isn’t just about the information he reveals, but also about the tools, frameworks, and ethical practices he encourages others to adopt. He is not only mapping the shadowy corridors of tech’s underbelly—he’s inviting people to follow him, flashlight in hand.
Dhruv Mehrotra does not simply write about technology—he interrogates it. He speaks for those unheard by algorithms, forgotten in databases, or monitored without consent. His work challenges us to question not just what technology can do, but what it should do. In that reflection, real change becomes possible.