ArriveCAN Mobile Application
Date: May 4, 2020
Classification: Unclassified
Branch/Agency: ISTB/CBSA
Issue:
The ArriveCAN mobile application was launched nationally on April 29.
Proposed Response:
- The CBSA and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) have co-created the ArriveCAN mobile application to support the Government of Canada’s efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19.
- The ArriveCan App is simply an alternative to PHAC’s online or paper COVID-19 contact tracing form.
- This electronic collection method allows travellers to submit their information quickly, easily and securely upon arrival in Canada, and also limits physical contact between travellers, airline officials, airport authority staff, PHAC officers and CBSA’s Border Services Officers.
- Additionally, the ArriveCan app will enable faster border processing, and we encourage travellers to use it.
- The personal information collected by the CBSA, whether it be through the paper form, the online form, or the App, is provided to PHAC for their enforcement of the Quarantine Act.
- Information can be shared (by PHAC) with provinces and territories, as well as with law enforcement, to monitor and enforce compliance with the traveller’s requirement to quarantine or isolate.
If pressed:
The App is not capable of geolocating or tracking individuals; it is simply an app to facilitate completion of the PHAC form, electronically.
Background:
Effective April 29, 2020, ports of entry are taking the following steps to launch and promote the ArriveCAN mobile application:
In air mode:
- Posters will be displayed leading up to, and in the area where travellers would normally fill out the PHAC contact tracing form. Handouts will also be available in these areas.
- Available screens will have promotional content posted.
In land mode:
- Border Services Officers (BSO) will provide information on the application to travellers at the same time they distribute the PHAC handout on mandatory quarantine.
- Promotional posters will be displayed.
Travellers can use their personal electronic device to download the application and enter the requested personal information. Travellers who provide their personal contact information on the ArriveCAN App, are required to show the completion screen to the BSO. Once they show the completion screen, they can request a security token from the BSO, which will allow them to complete the submission.
The ArriveCAN App cannot be used to track people’s location automatically through their phone or via GPS, nor is it a surveillance tool. The protection of Canadians’ information is a priority for the Government of Canada, and any tool used to collect personal information undergoes a rigorous privacy assessment.
The ArriveCan App also supports Canada’s digital strategy for services to Canadians and enhances efforts to go green. The ArriveCan App is currently available in Google Play or the Apple Store. It is also available as a web application that can be accessed through any laptop or desktop computer browser.
As of May 2, ArriveCAN was downloaded 9,465 times from the Google Play and Apple Stores where it is available for download. Travellers are being encouraged to use the mobile application. A comprehensive communications and social media plan (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) by PHAC and CBSA was launched April 29th, for the national roll-out.
Contacts:
Prepared by: Carol Sabourin, Executive Director, ISTB, [REDACTED]
Approved by: Minh Doan, Vice-President, ISTB, [REDACTED]
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