Law professor, KU grad Sarah Lamdan to speak about data collection and privacy

Sarah Lamdan, a KU alumna, author, and law professor at the City University of New York, will return to campus to discuss her research and book on data collection practices and their implication on privacy. Lamdan will present a public lecture at 10 a.m., May 4 in Watson Library’s Three West Reading Room.

Before becoming a professor, Lamdan was a law librarian and research analyst in private and academic libraries. A two-time graduate of the University of Kansas, including KU’s School of Law, she authored “Data Cartels: The Companies That Control and Monopolize Our Information,” a 2022 book from Stanford University Press which discusses how information analytics businesses exploit outdated laws to monopolize data.

The event is organized by the Shulenburger Office of Scholarly Communication & Copyright with the support of the Office of Communications and Advancement and the KU School of Law. It is expected to spark discussion at KU about data collection practices and advancing user protections, particularly concerning third parties that are contracted with the university.

"We’re very excited to partner with KU School of Law to bring Sarah Lamdan back to campus to talk about her work, which is making waves in information, scholarly communication, and privacy circles,” Josh Bolick, Head of the David Shulenburger Office of Scholarly Communication & Copyright. “The companies she focuses on in her book are RELX (Reed Elsevier Lexis Nexis) and Thomson Reuters. Both are deeply embedded in academic life, but their activities and influence aren't confined to academia. Sarah is a great speaker and researcher with a compelling story -- it should be a fascinating discussion.”

Lamdan’s book has been featured in Wired Magazine and The New York Times. The publisher’s website description of the book states, “In our digital world, data is power. Information hoarding businesses reign supreme, using intimidation, aggression, and force to maintain influence and control. Sarah Lamdan brings us into the unregulated underworld of these 'data cartels', demonstrating how the entities mining, commodifying, and selling our data and informational resources perpetuate social inequalities and threaten the democratic sharing of knowledge. Just a few companies dominate most of our critical informational resources … In addition to specific legal and market-based solutions, Lamdan calls for treating information like a public good and creating digital infrastructure that supports our democratic ideals.”

For more information about the event or questions, email Josh Bolick at jbolick@ku.edu.