Ahmed Ghappour

Ahmed Ghappour

Associate Professor of Law

Data Science Faculty Fellow, Boston University Hariri Institute for Computing

BS, Rutgers University
JD, New York University School of Law


Biography

Ahmed Ghappour, an expert in criminal law and computer security, joined the full-time faculty of Boston University School of Law in 2017. He was previously a Visiting Assistant Professor at U.C. Hastings College of the Law where he taught Criminal Procedure and a seminar on Electronic Surveillance.

Ghappour’s research bridges computer science and the law to address contemporary challenges wrought by new technologies in the administration of criminal justice and national security. His recently published Stanford Law Review article, “Searching Places Unknown: Law Enforcement Jurisdiction on the Dark Web,” examines the foreign relations and national security implications of government hacking operations that use malware to pursue criminal suspects that use sophisticated cryptographic tools to anonymize their communications on the “dark web.” The article was competitively selected for presentation at the New Voices in National Security Law session of the 2017 American Association of Law Schools Annual Meeting, and the New Voices in International Law session of the 2017 American Society of International Law Annual Meeting.

Ghappour’s research and teaching interests stem from his experience litigating complex computer crime and national security cases. At U.C. Hastings, he founded the school’s Liberty, Security & Technology Clinic, which provided legal services to criminal defendants in espionage and computer crime cases. Prior to UC-Hastings, he taught the National Security Clinic at the University of Texas School of Law, represented Guantanamo detainees in their habeas corpus proceedings at Reprieve UK, and worked as a patent litigator at Orrick Herrington and Sutcliffe LLP. Formerly, Ghappour was a computer engineer focused on automation, diagnostics, distributed systems architecture and high performance computing.

Publications

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  • Ahmed Ghappour, Data Collection and the Regulatory State 49 Connecticut Law Review (2017)
    Scholarly Commons
  • Ahmed Ghappour, Searching Places Unknown: Law Enforcement Jurisdiction on the Dark Web 69 Stanford Law Review (2017)
    Scholarly Commons
  • Ahmed Ghappour, Tallinn, Hacking, and Customary International Law 111 AJIL Unbound (2017)
    Scholarly Commons

In the Media

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  • PBS March 29, 2023

    Majority of Americans Reject Anti-trans Bills, but Support for This Restriction Is Rising

    Ahmed Ghappour is quoted.
    read more

  • ABC News March 28, 2023

    No Evidence of TikTok National Security Threat but Reason for Concern, Experts Say

    Ahmed Ghappour is quoted.
    read more

  • NBC News March 17, 2023

    What a TikTok Ban Would Mean for Users

    Ahmed Ghappour is quoted.
    read more

  • Fight for the Future January 11, 2023

    Open Source, Decentralized Tech Leaders Urge New Congress to Defend Privacy

    Ahmed Ghappour is quoted.
    read more

  • The Block September 15, 2022

    Coinbase-backed Suit Against Treasury Set to Become Landmark Blockchain Case

    Ahmed Ghappour is quoted.
    read more

  • BeInCrypto March 23, 2022

    Nym Taps Renowned Attorney Ahmed Ghappour as General Counsel

    Ahmed Ghappour joins Nym Technologies as General Counsel.
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  • March 1, 2022

    Ukraine Conflict Shows Wartime Norms Don’t Exist for Cyber Operations

    Ahmed Ghappour is quoted.
    read more

  • The Brink August 25, 2020

    If TikTok and WeChat Bans Go into Effect, Will It Be a Crime to Use the Apps in the US?

    Ahmed Ghappour interviewed.
    read more

  • Vice July 11, 2020

    The Secret Service Tried to Catch a Hacker With a Malware Booby-Trap

    Ahmed Ghappour's work referenced.
    read more

  • October 23, 2018

    Targeted by Mueller, What Did Trump Confidante Roger Stone Actually Do?

    Ahmed Ghappour quoted in ABC News.
    read more

  • October 2, 2018

    Why Cops Can Force You to Unlock Your Phone with Your Face

    Ahmed Ghappour quoted in Wired.
    read more

  • June 12, 2018

    WannaCry Hero’s New Legal Woes Spell Trouble For White Hat Hackers

    Ahmed Ghappour quoted in "WannaCry Hero's New Legal Woes Spell Trouble for White Hat Hackers," Wired. 
    read more

  • April 18, 2018

    Can the Law Stop Ransomware?

    Andrew Sellars and Ahmed Ghappour quoted in <em>Pressform</em>
    read more

  • April 12, 2018

    BU Cybersecurity Law Professor Reacts to Zuckerberg Testimony

    Ahmed Ghappour interviewed on <em>WBZ</em>
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Stories from The Record

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