Advertisement

MIT Review Says School Didn't Target Aaron Swartz

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology says an internal review of its actions in the investigation of free-information activist Aaron Swartz had found no wrongdoing on the school's part.

The 26-year-old hanged himself in January as he faced federal prosecution for surreptitiously using MIT's network to download millions of articles from a scholarly archive with the goal of making information free.

He was facing decades behind bars. Prosecutors said they offered a deal of four to six months in prison.

MIT says the investigation raises concerns about policies and procedures, but says the school didn't target Swartz, seek his prosecution, or oppose a plea.

MIT President L. Rafael Reif says the school's decisions were "made in good faith."

Swartz's girlfriend, Taren Stinebrickner-Kauffman, calls MIT's report a "whitewash" and says its behavior was "reprehensible."

This article was originally published on July 30, 2013.

This program aired on July 30, 2013. The audio for this program is not available.

Advertisement

More from WBUR

Listen Live
Close