Aleksandr Kogan (born April 6, 1986) is a Moldovan-born American scientist, who is known for his research on the link between oxytocin and kindness,[2] and for having developed the app that allowed Cambridge Analytica to collect personal details of 30 million Facebook users.
[4][13] Early in his career, Kogan and his colleagues authored numerous works revolving around the importance of communal strength, appreciation, and approach/avoidance goals in romantic relationships.
[17] Kogan and his lab have authored numerous other papers linking oxytocin to positive emotions, facial mimicry,[18] and theory of mind.
[23] As part of GSR, Kogan and his team developed the app, named "This Is Your Digital Life," that allowed Cambridge Analytica to collect personal details of allegedly 80 million Facebook users.
[24] At the center of the controversy, Christopher Wylie, a former SCL employee who left the company in 2014, suggested that the data Kogan collected was a strong departure from previous election efforts and could be used for highly persuasive psychological targeting.
[27] In interviews with BBC Radio 4's Today, CNN, and 60 Minutes, Kogan similarly argued that the data lacked the efficacy to make an appreciable impact.
[8][13] Following a roughly two year investigation, the UK’s data watchdog (ICO) concluded that many of Cambridge Analytica’s sales materials and Wylie’s initial claims had been exaggerated.
[4] Kogan also challenged the logic of the claims, pointing out that he also received funding for research from UK, US, Canadian, and Chinese governments, and that his family immigrated from the former USSR because of death threats.