Security rules not followed when awarding contracts to company behind controversial ArriveCan app, report says
A person holds a smartphone set to the opening screen of the ArriveCan app in a photo illustration made in Toronto, Wednesday, June 29, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Giordano Ciampini
OTTAWA — Canada's auditor general says federal organizations failed to follow procurement and security rules when awarding contracts to the company behind the controversial ArriveCan app.
The report on GCStrategies is one of several audits tabled in the House of Commons today.
It says the company was awarded 106 contracts by 31 federal organizations between 2015 and 2024.
The maximum value of those contracts was more than $90 million but only $65 million was paid out.
Auditor general Karen Hogan looked at a sample set of contracts to see whether they fell in line with federal policy and whether the government got value for taxpayers' money.
Her findings say many contracts did not follow procurement rules and organizations often provided little evidence to show the work had actually been done.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025.
Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press
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