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Mexico Probes Telcel as Senators Seek Halt to New Mobile Registry

Shared responsibilities under Mexico's data law complicate blame for the launch-day security flaw.

Overview

  • The anticorruption secretariat opened an ex officio investigation into Telcel after a launch-day portal flaw exposed personal data during the new CURP-linked registration, which the company called a technical error and not a mass breach.
  • PRI senators formally demanded suspension of the mandatory registry, citing privacy and due-process risks and pointing to the Supreme Court’s 2022 invalidation of the earlier RENAUT program.
  • Regulators have not set a single identity check standard, leaving authentication to each operator, raising the possibility a third party could register a number depending on the carrier's controls.
  • Authorities warned that carriers will not call users to complete linkage and labeled such calls as fraud, while the policy sets a June 30 deadline with service restrictions starting July 1 for unregistered lines.
  • Experts highlight potential sanctions under Mexico’s data-protection law and renew calls for a comprehensive cybersecurity law, as civil-society voices warn the registry could endanger vulnerable groups and offers limited value against modern fraud tactics.