Sheinbaum defends cell phone registration as a security measure
The controversy is served. And this morning, from the National Palace, President Claudia Sheinbaum launched herself to defend tooth and nail the national cell phone registry that has just come into force. His message was clear and direct: this is not Big Brother, it is a tool against crime.
In his morning conference this Tuesday, Sheinbaum cleared up doubts—or at least tried to do so—about the true purpose of the controversial registry. “The registry, which is very important to guarantee security, particularly now that we are working on the issue of extortion, has nothing to do with surveillance,” he stated forcefully.
The mechanism behind registration
Here is the crux of the matter, according to the presidential explanation. The process is not managed directly by the government. “It is the telephone company itself that makes the registration and is responsible for taking care of the information,” Sheinbaum clarified. A crucial fact: there are more than 158 million mobile lines that exist in the country, a figure that even exceeds the total population.
The president structured her argument in a simple logical chain:
- Telephone companies collect and store data.
- Authorities can only request access to that information if a mobile device is linked to a proven crime, such as extortion or fraud.
- Without an ongoing criminal investigation, data remains under lock and key at companies.
“And if there is a crime, then the corresponding areas, security or law enforcement, ask the telephone company for the information of the telephone number on which a crime was committed,” he explained.
This point is fundamental. Sheinbaum repeatedly insisted that government access is neither free nor indiscriminate. A judicial case is needed, an open investigation. The official narrative seeks to draw a very clear line between public security and mass surveillance.
But of course, in a country with a complex history on issues of surveillance and digital rights, the statements raise more questions. What real guarantees exist regarding this restricted access? How is this process audited? The president did not go into those technical details—and that is where the devil usually resides.
The context is not minor. Mexico is experiencing an epidemic of telephone extortion. Threatening calls from prisons or criminal operation centers are our daily bread for thousands. The government argues that this registry will make it easier to track those numbers used for illicit purposes.
However, civil organizations and privacy experts have been warning for years about the risks: massive databases that can be violated, used for political purposes or become an instrument of social control. Today Sheinbaum tried to close that door to fear: “Those who keep the information are the telephone companies,” he repeated like a mantra.
In the end, his conference left on the table an old but always current debate: the eternal balance between collective security and individual freedom. The administration is committed to prioritizing things first, arguing for strict procedures. Citizens and observers will continue to wonder—rightly—about the concrete mechanisms that will prevent abuses.
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