The Costly and Troubled ArriveCAN App

The podcast episode discusses the ArriveCAN app, which was launched by the Canadian government in April 2020 as a communications and screening tool for travelers entering Canada during the pandemic. However, the app quickly faced various issues and garnered significant criticism. One major problem was that 10,000 vaccinated individuals were mistakenly instructed to quarantine, with the potential of facing fines up to $5,000 if they didn't comply. The privacy commissioner also raised concerns about the handling of personal information. The episode highlights an audit report from the auditor general, revealing that the app's estimated cost had ballooned to nearly $60 million, raising questions about mismanagement, contracts, and inflated prices. GC strategies, a small company responsible for a significant portion of the work, received around $19.1 million in estimated costs, leading to questions about the company's qualifications and the bidding process. The report also mentions investigations into alleged threats between senior government officials and ongoing RCMP investigations into Canada Border Services Agency employees and contractors.