Imad Payande

Imad Payande is a Tehran-based researcher and policy analyst at the Data for Governance Lab, working at the intersection of internet governance, digital sovereignty, and the political economy of the technology. For the past five years, he has closely studied how authoritarian states use digital infrastructures to control information flows, restrict civic participation, and reshape the digital economy on their own terms. His work pays particular attention to how sanctions, censorship, and surveillance interact in high-friction environments like Iran. He has contributed to public discussions through collaborations with outlets such as CircleID and the Internet Society (ISOC), focusing on infrastructure governance, policy loopholes, and the evolving role of platforms in contexts where traditional democratic norms often break down.