Riana Pfefferkorn

Riana Pfefferkorn

  • Research Scholar, Stanford Internet Observatory

Biography

Riana Pfefferkorn is a Research Scholar at the Stanford Internet Observatory. She investigates the U.S. and other governments' policies and practices for forcing decryption and/or influencing the security design of online platforms and services, devices, and products, both via technical means and through the courts and legislatures. Riana also studies novel forms of electronic surveillance and data access by U.S. law enforcement and their impact on civil liberties. 

Previously, Riana was the Associate Director of Surveillance and Cybersecurity at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society, where she remains an affiliate. Prior to joining Stanford, she was an associate in the Internet Strategy & Litigation group at the law firm of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, and a law clerk to the Honorable Bruce J. McGiverin of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. During law school, she interned for the Honorable Stephen Reinhardt of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Riana has spoken at various legal and security conferences, including Black Hat and DEF CON's Crypto & Privacy Village. She is frequently quoted in the press, including the New York Times, the Washington Post, and NPR. Riana is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law and Whitman College.

Complete list of publications and recent blog posts here.

publications

Journal Articles
February 2024

Addressing Computer-Generated Child Sex Abuse Imagery: Legal Framework and Policy Implications

Author(s)
cover link Addressing Computer-Generated Child Sex Abuse Imagery: Legal Framework and Policy Implications
Journal Articles
May 2023

Threatening Encryption, Senate Democrats Aid GOP War on Abortion

Author(s)
cover link Threatening Encryption, Senate Democrats Aid GOP War on Abortion
Journal Articles
November 2022

Shooting the Messenger: Remediation of Disclosed Vulnerabilities as CFAA “Loss”

Author(s)
cover link Shooting the Messenger: Remediation of Disclosed Vulnerabilities as CFAA “Loss”

In The News

text on a dark background shows the Atlantic Council logo, and reads "Report Launch: Sacaling trust on the web", task force for a trustworthy future web, #scalingtrust
Blogs

New Report: "Scaling Trust on the Web"

The report from the Task Force for a Trustworthy Web maps systems-level dynamics and gaps that impact the trustworthiness and usefulness of online spaces
cover link New Report: "Scaling Trust on the Web"
collage of photos including group shot of SIO staff and of the Stanford Dish
News

The Stanford Internet Observatory Turns Three

SIO releases its annual report summarizing its first three years of research, teaching and policy and laying the path for the years to come.
cover link The Stanford Internet Observatory Turns Three
image of three phones illustrating how end to end encryption works on Meta's platform
News

Meta Just Happens to Expand Messenger’s End-to-End Encryption

Riana Pfefferkorn of SIO spoke with Wired on Meta's expansion of end-to-end encryption in Messenger.
cover link Meta Just Happens to Expand Messenger’s End-to-End Encryption