Mexican law aimed at curbing crime may leave millions of cell phone users without service…

By on Apr 9, 2010 at 12:58 PM
mobile April 9, 2010

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Last year, the Mexican government passed a law mandating all pre-paid, anonymous mobile phone users submit their personal information to their wireless provider(s) and have their cellular line linked with their name and personal information. The law is aimed at curbing what Mexican officials are calling “mobile extortion.” Ransom demands from organized crime and drug cartel kidnappings are often made via anonymous, pre-paid cellular phones, and it is the preferred method of communication for “common criminals” in Mexico. The majority of Mexico’s estimated 84 million mobile phones are pre-paid, and with the weekend deadline for compliance looming, over 30 million pre-paid users have failed to submit their information in accordance with the new law. Mexican telcom companies were denied a request to extend the deadline for compliance by the country’s senate. The anonymous lines that are not in compliance by this weekend are supposed to be shut off by the wireless service provider the line is associate with. Critics of the law say that criminals will simply register the phones with fake or other people’s credentials, and that denying the Mexican people access to cellular phones is a violation of people’s constitutional rights under Mexican law. Telcom company America Movîl is predicting losses of around $10 million a day if the 30 million unregistered lines are indeed shut down. What do you think? For the greater good, or a violation of the rights and privacy of the Mexican people?

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  • bullyboy

    Lol. What’s the point? Everyone knows crime will continue regardless. However you can’t blame them for trying.
    the networks already have the numbers and addresses of plan subscribers. The rich are the ones on plans and they can afford a ransom. So that’s done already.
    Y would I want to kidnap someone who can’t afford a plan.
    Or maybe the people who can’t afford a plan are doing the kidnapping. Lol.
    Cut them off.

    • destardi

      …what’s the point is correct. What IS the point, considering Mexicans are all crossing the border illegally and are in America, with US based cell phones. There’s no problem here. Heh.

  • bullyboy

    @ jeffro ignorance is bliss. You sound like a happy clown. Negro this Negro that, my arse. Grow up and stop behaving like a kid who hadn’t had his sweets.

  • AmI Illegal?

    Seriously though, Mexico isn’t a country. More like a “Bad Lands”. But it’s a great place to get your johnson Wet…Back to the subject. I think the move by their “government” is a good step forward. Now, if they can only fix those borders….

  • Jdlnmia

    This is backwards-ass government interference. The criminals will find a way around it.

  • Cnote221

    Damn.. Well written Sir

  • Versed

    All this does is it make it like the government is doing something, in all reality they’re doing nothing. But most governments around the world do this kind of nonsense, so lets not pick on them for stuff like this.

  • Pete990

    I’ve read into what’s going on in Mexico quite a bit now and I have to agree with what the government is doing here…It’s really sad, too many innocent people being murdered and at least this will save some

  • http://myspace.com/vj_zaico VJ_ZAICO

    to many people are getting rich on both side…. look at afghanistan …. heroin #1 export

  • bonesb

    Great frickin’ post! Personally, I’ve never used illegal drugs (no yeah, right, sure) but I’ve always believed in a similar stance. Drugs aren’t for me, but they exist and dealing with them pragmatically will lead to a safer world all around. Regulate it, tax it, deal with the situation – just like booze and tobacco.

    I was in Lisbon before and after 2001, and what a difference the new rules made. Drugs still aren’t cool there, but the crime’s way down and I just didn’t see so much scary stuff as I did the first time. In Amsterdam, if you’re not a native – don’t get caught; those rules are for citizens, and the gov’t is starting to crack down on non-natives – but if we had a homogenous set of laws we wouldn’t have any problems, right?

  • betchplz

    Movil can stand to lose a few million, his Tracfone/Net10 is a cash cow.

  • Jake

    I like it now close the boarders and keep them out!!

  • Azeron

    How would we (Americans) know? After 911, we meekly surrendered (many of)our freedoms in the name of security. We would be hypocrites to criticize another nation for doing the same.

  • Azeron

    Prohibition makes crime pay for criminals AND law enforcement. You don’t want to put all those police officers and prison guards out of work do you? Don’t worry… They will NEVER let it happen.

  • Bravo!

    Finally a comment with some sense. Obviously, President Calderon’s “Drug on Wars” is as smart as Bush’s “War on Terror”. All the cartels are fighting over control to the supply of the US you idiots, maybe if you stopped getting your asses all high on shit, you could think a bit.

    I have to say that the majority of the comments just validate the idea that the majority of americans are all a bunch of ignorant rednecks who haven’t even been out of their on block, let alone their city. Dumb, illiterate bastards who hardly can speak 1 language, let alone speak 2.

    The legalization of drugs is the only solution.

  • jonathan

    wow. most of these comments are extremely immature and have nothing to do with the subject.

    Mexico is a poor country with a lot of problems. I don’t know if I agree with the new law. I know they have a lot of problems with criminals and also with corrupt officials. So, if the the government in Mexico is doing this with good intentions, then I agree.

    Posted from BGR Mobile (iPhone).

  • http://tayito.net TaYo

    This is a serious violation of human rights in Mexico, that adds to a series of laws and initiatives that have been mining our freedom in the past years. Americans, watch out because you might have a bad-ass dicatorship right by your doorstep sooner than you think. And guess what: that means more mexicans crossing illegally the border, trying to escape from hell because they don’t have anything else to lose.

    • American Patriot

      The Amero, and a North American unified nation have already been approved by the US government. It’s closer than you think. Look it up if you don’t believe me. It’s been covered on CNN and Fox, but the media who is controlled by the government is keeping a lid on most of the information. EDUCATE YOURSELVES.

  • Jay-Z-Jay

    Crime is not evrywhere in Mexico. Just on the border areas and hotspots. Remember, they re-wrote their own history books to say they won the Mexico vs. America war. Fucking lairs.

  • Moises Suarez

    I live in Mexico and I’m from Mexico, and this new law it is bullshit! you can register any number with false data or others people data, so this doesn’t guarantee you anything!

  • RickC

    “… denying the Mexican people access to cellular phones is a violation of people’s constitutional rights under Mexican law…”

    Where in the constitution does it say citizens are guaranteed life, liberty and use of a cell phone?

    The stupid media taking drama to new levels. No shortage of BS in this country either.

  • Oce

    Who said they were being denied cell phone service! Is it unreasonable to ask a person to register their correct name and address in order to use a service? That is the standard in the US and most civil countries. If you have nothing to hide, it should’nt bother you. But if you are a criminal who uses your cell phone to carry out your criminal activities, then I guess it would suck.

  • Oce

    30 million unregistered lines! Thats alot of criminals!

  • http://www.chinaqualitydirect.com Wholesale

    I guess it would suck

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