22/01/2022: This text has been translated from German. This article was first published by ZBW Mediatalk and has been republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Data tracking has long been a lucrative business model for many corporations.

The fact that it also takes place in science is not so well-known, however.

But here too, dangers are lurking for data protection and the freedom of science and research.

And libraries also have a role to play, as stakeholders in the scientific ecosystem, particularly if they take out any kind of contract with profit-oriented companies such as publishing houses, in which the data from researchers can also function as bargaining chips.

Julia Reda from the Society for Civil Rights (GFF) has long been dedicated to the assertion of fundamental rights in the conflict area surrounding copyright and data protection. In the interview she explains the role libraries and digital infrastructures play in this complex topic and why it is so important for these institutions to build their own infrastructure and focus on green Open Access instead of financially supporting publishing houses to build up a parallel and commercial infrastructure.

Source: How University Libraries Can Protect Data and Scientific Freedom – The Wire Science