Skip to Content
Silicon Valley

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

This new data poisoning tool lets artists fight back against generative AI

The tool, called Nightshade, messes up training data in ways that could cause serious damage to image-generating AI models. 

Rogue superintelligence and merging with machines: Inside the mind of OpenAI’s chief scientist

An exclusive conversation with Ilya Sutskever on his fears for the future of AI and why they’ve made him change the focus of his life’s work.

The Biggest Questions: What is death?

New neuroscience is challenging our understanding of the dying process—bringing opportunities for the living.

Data analytics reveal real business value

Sophisticated analytics tools mine insights from data, optimizing operational processes across the enterprise.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.