Aleksandr Kogan, the Russian-American academic who harvested data from 87 million Facebook users without their knowledge or permission and gave it to the Trump campaign data firm, will testify before the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance and Data Security on Tuesday.
The hearing will focus the on data privacy risks that Cambridge Analytica’s relationship with Facebook and other data sharing partnerships with social media companies can pose to consumers.
Facebook has said Kogan harvested data on users via an app on the platform in which users consented to give their up their data and the data of their friends. Kogan allegedly provided this information to Cambridge Analytica, against Facebook's rules for the use of such data.
Cambridge Analytica and its parent firm, SCL, declared bankruptcy in the wake of the scandal. The British research firm had been hired by 2016 presidential candidates including the Trump campaign and counted Stephen Bannon as one of its board members.
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Lawmakers have already brought in Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and former Cambridge Analytica employee and whistleblower Christopher Wylie to testify on the matter.
Kogan had spoken in front of British lawmakers about the data scandal in April.
The researcher has defended his actions in the way of the scandal and has considered suing Facebook for defamation.
Researcher at center of Cambridge Analytica scandal to testify before Senate (The Hill)