Mexico Cracks Down on Anonymous Cell Phones to Combat Extortion Surge
Mexico is moving to eliminate anonymity in mobile phone usage, linking over 3.3 million lines to official identification in just over two weeks, as authorities grapple with a dramatic rise in telephone-based extortion. The initiative, launched January 9th, aims to curb criminal activity by making it harder for perpetrators to operate untraceably.
According to a senior official at the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT), the registration drive is initially focused on individual users, with plans to extend the requirement to businesses. Currently, a staggering 85% – approximately 134 million – of Mexico’s 158 million active cell phone lines are registered as prepaid and therefore anonymous. Only 24 million lines are associated with a known individual through postpaid accounts.
The urgency stems from a sharp increase in extortion cases. In 2024 alone, authorities recorded 7.4 million instances of extortion, with roughly 90% originating from telephone calls. “The space for committing crimes with telephone lines is very wide because we have 134 million anonymous lines, and we do not know who uses them,” the CRT official explained. “This link that is made as of January 9 has to do with eliminating anonymity.”
Under the new regulations, cell phone lines not linked to official identification by June 30th will be deactivated starting July 1st. These deactivated lines will be restricted to emergency calls – 911 and 089 – and the reception of alert messages. Users will be able to reactivate their lines by completing the registration process.
The registration process is being spearheaded by private telecommunications companies – Telcel, AT&T, Movistar, and Altán Redes – which will send SMS messages to prepaid customers with a link to the registration website. To combat potential fraud, these companies will launch public awareness campaigns to help users identify legitimate communications. Altán Redes will also activate an electronic platform for customers using suppliers like Bait.
While the primary focus is on prepaid customers, those with older postpaid contracts who did not initially provide their CURP (unique population registration code) are also required to register. Individuals can link up to 10 numbers, while companies have no limit. Companies can also register lines for their employees, and individuals can designate family members as users on their registered lines.
This approach marks a significant departure from previous attempts at a national registry. Past efforts, in 2009 and 2021, were government-led and proposed collecting biometric data. The current system, however, places the responsibility for data security with the mobile operators, adhering to the Federal Law of Personal Data Held by Private Parties.
The CRT official emphasized that the same identity validation platforms used by banks are being utilized by the telecommunications companies, leveraging resources like the National Electoral Institute to verify user identities. “There has been no extraction of bases, there has been no leak, no exposure,” the official asserted, highlighting the robust cybersecurity measures in place. Each company will maintain its own registry, rather than a centralized national database.
Starting February 7th, operators will provide a platform for users to verify which lines are linked to their identification and request the cancellation of any unrecognized lines. Authorities are also actively addressing the fraudulent sale of purportedly registered SIM cards on social media. “They call them hollow, empty chips, because they are lines that do not exist,” the official clarified. “So what there is is fraud.” Collaboration with cyber police and platforms like Facebook is ongoing to swiftly remove fraudulent listings.
This latest initiative builds upon the foundations laid by previous attempts at a national registry, including Renaut (2009) and Panaut (2021), aiming to finally close the anonymity gap that has long plagued law enforcement efforts in Mexico.
