Privacy rules should help citizens counter powerful companies that are mining their data and seeking to influence them, says scholar Neil Richards on the latest episode of “Common Law,” a podcast of the University of Virginia School of Law.

Richards, who received his M.A. in legal history and J.D. from UVA in 1997, is the Koch Distinguished Professor in Law and director of the Cordell Institute for Policy in Medicine & Law at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is also an affiliate scholar with the Stanford Center for Internet and Society and the Yale Information Society Project, and a fellow at the Center for Democracy and Technology.

In the episode, hosted by Dean Risa Goluboff and Professor Danielle Citron, who is also a well-known privacy expert, Richards discusses his new book, “Why Privacy Matters.” Richards and the hosts examine the values that privacy rules should protect, the illusion of control in privacy settings and surveillance-based advertising, among other topics.

This season, called “Co-Counsel” features a rotating set of co-hosts: Citron, John Harrison, Cathy Hwang and Greg Mitchell. Each is joining Goluboff to discuss cutting-edge research on law topics of their choice.

“Common Law” is available on Apple PodcastsStitcherYouTubeSpotify and other popular podcast sources. The show is produced by Emily Richardson-Lorente.

Past seasons have focused on “The Future of Law,” “When Law Changed the World” and “Law and Equity.”

You can follow the show on the website CommonLawPodcast.com or Twitter at @CommonLawUVA.

Founded in 1819, the University of Virginia School of Law is the second-oldest continuously operating law school in the nation. Consistently ranked among the top law schools, Virginia is a world-renowned training ground for distinguished lawyers and public servants, instilling in them a commitment to leadership, integrity and community service.

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