
Matt Pearl is the director of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He joined CSIS in January 2025 after more than 14 years of federal government service. Until August 2024, he was director for emerging technologies and special advisor to the deputy national security advisor at the National Security Council, where he focused on technology and telecommunications issues. Prior to that, Matt was an associate bureau chief at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), where he was responsible for managing wireless policy, including overseeing many of the largest spectrum transitions and auctions in history. Before joining the FCC, he worked as a law clerk for Judge Harris Hartz of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Prior to that, he was a law clerk for Judge Lawrence Kahn of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. From 2014 to 2020, Matt was a research affiliate at the Berkman-Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, where he was part of an effort to advance networking technologies. Matt earned his JD at Yale Law School, where he served as a submissions editor for the Yale Journal on Regulation.
Areas of Expertise
In the News 8 of 12 results
On TikTok, Chinese Manufacturers Open a New Line in the Trade War
Matt Pearl cited in The New York Times — April 24, 2025
A Trump-proofed plan for undocumented immigrant phone discounts
Matt Pearl in POLITICO — April 11, 2025
‘Really bad’ — California braces for a tariff reckoning
Matt Pearl in POLITICO — April 10, 2025
Tech’s security challenges in space
Matt Pearl in POLITICO — April 7, 2025
What California is wondering ahead of Trump’s tariffs
Matt Pearl in POLITICO — April 7, 2025
Paywall removal sites mysteriously redirect to Kremlin-controlled media outlet
Matt Pearl in Semafor — April 2, 2025
How the Escalating China-U.S. AI Race Is Shaping the World
Matt Pearl in TaiwanPlus — April 1, 2025
How Trump tariffs would push Big Tech's AI data center costs higher
Matt Pearl in Yahoo Finance — March 31, 2025
All Matt Pearl Content
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Securing the Future of U.S. Quantum Leadership with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi
Event — May 16, 2025
Stabilizing U.S. Financial Leadership: Why Congress Must Get Stablecoin Regulation Right
Commentary by Matt Pearl and Anoosh Kumar — April 30, 2025
Stabilizing U.S. Financial Leadership: Why Congress Must Get Stablecoin Regulation Right
Podcast Episode by Matt Pearl and Anoosh Kumar — April 30, 2025

Back & Forth 4: Should the United States Adopt a “Hack-Back” Cyber Strategy?
Commentary by Matt Pearl and Alexander Klimburg — April 24, 2025
Back & Forth 4: Should the United States Adopt a “Hack-Back” Cyber Strategy?
Podcast Episode by Matt Pearl and Alexander Klimburg — April 24, 2025

China’s Underwater Power Play: The PRC’s New Subsea Cable-Cutting Ship Spooks International Security Experts
Commentary by Erin L. Murphy and Matt Pearl — April 4, 2025
China’s Underwater Power Play: The PRC’s New Subsea Cable-Cutting Ship Spooks International Security Experts
Podcast Episode by Erin L. Murphy and Matt Pearl — April 4, 2025

The Missing Link in the AI Stack: Why Digital Infrastructure Is Essential to U.S. Leadership
Commentary by Navin Girishankar and Matt Pearl — April 3, 2025
The Missing Link in the AI Stack: Why Digital Infrastructure Is Essential to U.S. Leadership
Podcast Episode by Navin Girishankar and Matt Pearl — April 3, 2025

Strategic Japan 2025: Norms in New Technological Domains
Event — March 19, 2025