The AMS accidentally leaked over 300 student email addresses in a mass email sent out to participants of the AMS pen pal program.
This is the third time an AMS employee has made this mistake in the last couple years. In March 2020, the AMS accidentally leaked email addresses in a message encouraging club support for its controversial omnibus bylaw referendum. In February 2021, a similar incident occurred when emailing students about co-op program refunds.
This time, in the ‘To’ field of the email, hundreds of email addresses were visible. The email, sent on November 25, was announcing an extended deadline for an “aesthetic” letter contest.
Under the BC Personal Information Protection Act, private organizations need to obtain consent before disclosing personal information such as email addresses.
In a statement to The Ubyssey, Eric Lowe, senior communications and marketing manager, said this was a “mistake.” Lowe said he takes “full responsibility” for it.
“Going forward we will use a mass email platform to communicate with Pen Pal members instead of Outlook, this will prevent email address[es] from being exposed to other members. The AMS takes student privacy very seriously and I am sincerely sorry that this happened,” Lowe wrote. He told any concerned students to email him at communications@ams.ubc.ca.
Lowe added that he has spoken with AMS Privacy Officer Sheldon Goldfarb about the incident.
“Once again my apologies to every member of the Pen Pal Program. This is something that won’t happen again,” Lowe wrote.