Experts conclude that ArriveCAN violates people's rights
They believe the government should pay close attention to the work of the scandalous app.
The ArriveCAN app, already involved with the Canadian federal privacy watchdog, has once again been caught in the middle of a scandal. Another glitch in its operation reportedly resulted in ten thousand vaccinated travellers being sent erroneous messages about their obligation to go into quarantine. The extent of the glitch was revealed by journalists, who also revealed that it took the government more than 12 days to send out the error notices.
Data privacy experts believe that the app violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms on the issue of freedom of movement. There is a growing consensus as to whether ordering people to stay in their homes for two weeks without an explanation is a form of illegal detention:
"It creates direct harm for people who are receiving this incorrect notification and following it."
Matt Malone, a law professor at Thompson River University of British Columbia, believes the problem lies in the lack of government involvement in the interaction between the app and travelers. Originally designed to help the government enforce quarantine regulations, it has sent thousands of erroneous letters out of control, suggesting a lack of proper government oversight of its functions.
It is worth noting that the technology behind ArriveCAN is a trade secret. This means that any attempt by experts to obtain information about the application's algorithms will be met with a denial under federal law. Matt Malone considers the lack of publicly available information about the software a worrying sign and is surprised by the "trade secret" labeling of a technology that directly affects the lives and freedom of Canadians.
Travelers who have been unjustly sent to quarantine report that they have tried to reach out to those in charge and report the error. In response, they received either automated messages or replies from staff members who were unable to resolve the issue.
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