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Mexico’s Biometric CURP Rolls Out With ‘Optional’ Pledge at Odds With Legal Mandate

The electoral authority says the voter ID remains required, underscoring unresolved rules for how the new identifier will be used.

Overview

  • Article 91 Bis in the federal gazette designates the CURP as a mandatory national ID that must be requested for services, with fines of 10,000–20,000 UMAs for noncompliance.
  • President Claudia Sheinbaum and the Interior Ministry maintain that giving biometric data is voluntary.
  • The upgraded identifier captures fingerprints, iris scans, a full-face photo and an electronic signature, and its digital version is managed by the federal Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency.
  • Digital rights group R3D cautions that a centralized, mass biometric database heightens privacy and cybersecurity risks for more than 130 million people.
  • The INE confirms the voter credential remains necessary for elections, with a new card model planned for 2026.