The academic behind Facebook’s data scandal speaks out
Aleksandr Kogan has been questioned at a British parliamentary hearing about his role in the ongoing Cambridge Analytica scandal. The data company has broken its silence, too.
Backstory: Kogan is the researcher who created the game My Digital Life, which gathered details from about 87 million people. The data was later used by Cambridge Analytica.
Liar, liar: Suspended Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix previously told Parliament that his company didn’t use Kogan’s data. Kogan called that “total fabrication.”
Questionable data: Kogan told British lawmakers that claims made by Cambridge Analytica about the impressive accuracy of its tools, based on his data, were “highly inaccurate.” Cambridge Analytica also now says its results were “just above random guessing in statistical terms.”
Just a scapegoat? Kogan claimed Facebook was in “PR crisis mode.” He added that it was “convenient to point the finger at my firm and call it a rogue agency,” despite the fact that Facebook knows its platform “is being mined ... by thousands of others.”
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it
The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
Learning to code isn’t enough
Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.