The legal scholar and former White House official examines how today’s tech giants extract wealth from ordinary citizens and deepen America’s class divide. Pre-order your copy of The Age of Extraction and get your free ticket now!

The Internet was once celebrated as a democratizing force promising widespread prosperity. In his new book, The Age of Extraction, Tim Wu explores how it has instead fueled the rise of new economic hierarchies and widened the wealth gap and deepened inequality. Wu, who famously coined the term “net neutrality,” charts the ascent of dominant tech platforms, the extraordinary power they wield, and the unprecedented ways they extract wealth, data, and attention from us all—reshaping both our economy and our society.

Wu will be in conversation with Lina Khan, former Chair of the Federal Trade Commission, to discuss how society can reclaim control of our digital lives to build a fairer, more balanced economy.

Pre-order your copy of the book and skip the line after the event! Tickets labeled “In-Person (with book)” include a copy of The Age of Extraction that you’ll receive upon entry.

To join the event in person | Doors will open 30 minutes before the program begins. For LIVE from NYPL events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment; we will do our best to accommodate everyone. Booked seats that have not been claimed will be released shortly before start time, and seats may become available then. A standby line will form 30 minutes before the program.

To join the livestream | Want a copy of The Age of Extraction? Order your book at the Library Shop—proceeds benefit The New York Public Library.

A livestream of this event will be available on the NYPL event page. To receive an email reminder shortly in advance of the event, please be sure to register! If you encounter any issues, please join us on NYPL’s YouTube channel.

The Age of Extraction will also be available for purchase from the Library Shop the evening of the event. All books purchased in the bundle should be picked up the evening of the event. If you are unable to pick up your book the evening of the event, you must pick up your book at the NYPL Shop within 14 days. Any unclaimed books will be donated to the Library.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Tim Wu is the Julius Silver Professor of Law, Science and Technology at Columbia Law School. He served as special assistant to the president for technology and competition policy under the Biden administration, worked on competition policy in the Obama White House and the Federal Trade Commission, and served as senior enforcement counsel at the New York attorney general’s office. The author of The Master Switch and The Attention Merchants, he lives in New York City.

Lina M. Khan served as Chair of the Federal Trade Commission from June 15, 2021 to January 20, 2025. Khan got her start in antitrust as a business reporter and researcher examining consolidation across markets, from airlines to chicken farming. While at the FTC, Khan focused on exercising the full suite of the FTC’s statutory authorities, regularly engaging with and hearing from the public, and ensuring the agency is updating its tools and skillsets to tackle new market realities and next-generation challenges. Priority initiatives included reinvigorating antitrust and consumer protection enforcement, tackling noncompete clauses, protecting people’s sensitive data from unchecked surveillance, and taking on illegal conduct that deprives Americans of access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Prior to joining the FTC, Khan served as counsel to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial, and Administrative Law. She was also an associate professor at Columbia Law School. Khan is a graduate of Williams College and Yale Law School.