Dr Thomas Linder is a Senior Researcher at Research ICT Africa (RIA). His work focuses on emerging digital technologies, digital and data policies, their societal implications, and their ethical governance. At RIA, Linder leads research on Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), ensuring that as DPI is developed in Africa and globally, the organisation provides empirically grounded and ethically informed analysis to support approaches that are inclusive, fair, empowering, and sustainable.
Linder holds a PhD in the sociology of technology, with his doctoral research examining the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-based surveillance in policing. His expertise spans the history and political economy of technology, ethics and technology, and critical and decolonial theory of technology.
Before joining RIA, Linder worked at Open North as Senior Coordinator for Research, focusing on smart cities, data governance, AI governance, and privacy regulation. He is also a certified privacy and data management compliance consultant. He has designed and taught Concordia University’s continuing education module on Responsible AI, and served as a Policy Group member for the Centre for AI and Digital Policy, contributing to G20 and G7 AI policy processes.
Linder has published widely in both scholarly and public forums, and regularly delivers guest lectures and talks internationally.
