You may have heard of Freedom of Information (FOI) and the information that is disclosed because of it. But did you know that when there are genuine reasons not to disclose, an exemption can be used to withhold the information?
More detail on these circumstances have been added to our FOI webpages. Please take a look – you may find it interesting and reassuring.
For example, did you know that personal information is not disclosed under FOI, except in very specific circumstances? Similarly, if information is commercially sensitive or confidential, it too will not be disclosed. Most of us will be aware of information that has been learned through FOI, but less attention is given to information that is protected and exempt from disclosure. These exemptions exist for a reason, and information which is not fit to be in the public domain will not be disclosed by the University.
Keep a look out for more articles about FOI, where we will be delving into some of these circumstances in more detail.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about FOI, please contact the Information Governance team at foi@abdn.ac.uk