Erroneous quarantine notifications from ArriveCAN
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) investigated a complaint regarding erroneous quarantine notifications sent by the ArriveCAN application to approximately 10,200 Apple device users. The OPC found that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) did not take all reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of the personal information used for administrative decisions, contravening subsection 6(2) of the Privacy Act. The CBSA disagreed with this finding and refused to correct the inaccurate information, although they later informed the OPC that the defect had been fixed and affected individuals notified.
- Whether the CBSA took all reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy of personal information used for administrative decisions.
- Whether the 'quarantine_exempted' data field constituted personal information used for an administrative purpose.
- Whether the CBSA's pre-release testing, human intervention, and correction mechanisms were adequate.
- Whether the CBSA should correct the erroneous information it holds despite the measures taken.
Complaint well-founded — corrective measures not fully implemented
The OPC found that the CBSA failed to implement rigorous pre-release testing for high-impact errors, ensure effective human intervention for high-impact decisions, and provide timely correction and recourse for individuals. While the CBSA fixed the defect and notified affected individuals, they disagreed with the OPC's findings and refused to correct the erroneous data in their holdings.
AI-generated summary for reference only. Always verify against the official decision ↗
The OPC recommended that the CBSA correct the inaccurate information generated by the ArriveCAN error for all affected individuals within six months.
- subsection 6(2) of the Privacy Act
This summary is informational only and not legal advice.