UBC release of uncensored personal information an 'honest mistake,' report says

A new report says the release of uncensored details about the departure of a former University of British Columbia president was an honest mistake.

The report, by former B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis, says a step was missed when the documents were prepared to be released to the public, and hidden attachments containing uncensored personal information were accidentally included.

The university released 861 pages of documents in response to a series of Access to Information requests in January after Arvind Gupta abruptly relinquished his post last August.

Loukidelis' report says releasing the uncensored information was "an accidental result" of the university's attempt to be "open and transparent."

The report notes UBC has made changes to how it releases information in the wake of the incident, including changing how embedded information is removed and requiring a second staff member to check releases containing sensitive information.

The university responded to the report with a statement saying they accept the findings and will devote more resources to the department that handles access to information requests.