That data was collected in 2013 by a benign - looking personality prediction app, developed by Aleksandr Kogan, a Russian - American researcher and lecturer at the University of Cambridge. (zdnet.com)
«Approximately 270,000 Facebook users downloaded an app created by University of Cambridge researcher Dr. Aleksandr [Kogan] purporting to offer personality predictions for users,» wrote Wyden. (newsweek.com)
Stillwell and Kosinski had still planned to help SCL Group with personality predictions but were «removed from the project because of a disagreement on monetary compensation,» according to Kogan's email, which was published in The Outline. (gizmodo.com)