(Ottawa) The information commissioner says she is launching a systematic investigation into the controversial ArrivalCan application, highlighting allegations related to the destruction of documents that were the subject of information requests.
Published yesterday at 9:33 p.m.
In a statement Friday, Canada's Information Commissioner said there would be an investigation “into matters relating to the request or receipt of records related to ArrivalCAN between March 2020 and February 23, 2024.”
Commissioner Caroline Maynard says she is aware that further investigations into these allegations are ongoing, but she has decided to take the initiative and conduct her own independent investigation into the matters under her remit.
Under the Access to Information Act, the Privacy Commissioner can itself file a complaint if there are “reasonable grounds to believe that an investigation should be conducted into a matter relating to the request or receipt of documents,” the release said.
Maynard points out that the law contains strict confidentiality provisions to protect the integrity of such investigations.
The federal government launched ArrivalCan in April 2020 to track the health and contact information of people entering Canada during the pandemic and to digitize customs and immigration declarations.
Canada's Auditor General said earlier this month that there was a “blatant disregard” for basic management and contracting practices in the development and implementation of ArrivalCan.
The regulator alleged that the government's use of exclusive third-party contractors drove up the price of the app and that these costs were not properly recorded.
“Investigations have been ongoing on this issue for months. “This is obviously a matter of great concern and we expect answers and transparency from those who awarded these contracts and from those who received the money,” the First Minister said during a press conference in Vancouver on Tuesday.