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Mexico to Require ID for SIM Cards as Sheinbaum Targets Prison Extortion

Implementation now passes to the new telecom regulator, with carrier-held data accessible only by court order.

Overview

  • President Claudia Sheinbaum announced that the new Telecommunications Commission will tighten controls on prepaid SIM sales by requiring official identification at purchase.
  • Mobile operators will be obliged to apply controlled cellular signal blocking in designated detention centers to curb illicit calls.
  • Telecom companies will retain purchaser records and may provide them to authorities only upon a judge’s order, according to the announcement.
  • Sheinbaum said anonymous SIM availability enables criminal groups to rotate multiple chips for extortion schemes, including from prisons.
  • The measures are established in the recently approved telecommunications law, and operational details and timelines will be defined during the rollout.