Mexico faces a widening gap in its effort to curb extortion through a mandatory mobile phone registry. As of March 8, the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) reported that only 20.4 million of the country’s 161.7 million active lines are linked to a verified identity.
To meet the government’s June 30 deadline for full registration, approximately 934,000 users need to verify their data daily. Currently, the system is processing roughly 346,000 registrations per day, barely a third of the required pace.
Proponents of the measure argue that eliminating anonymity is a necessary step to combat organized crime. The president of Concanaco Servytur stated that linking phone lines to specific individuals or businesses creates a trail for investigators. He believes this transparency will provide small and medium-sized enterprises with greater security and foster economic confidence.
Data privacy concerns mount
Despite the push for security, industry leaders remain skeptical about the government's ability to protect the sensitive information being collected. Cuauhtémoc Rivera, president of the National Alliance of Small Merchants (Anpec), warned that the registry could inadvertently create a roadmap for criminals.
“We might be handing information to criminals on a silver platter,” Rivera said. “I have my doubts because there is no guarantee of the correct and secure handling of the information provided.”
Critics point to the lack of infrastructure to safeguard such a massive database, fearing that a breach could expose millions of citizens to further fraud. The pressure to register remains high as extortion rates continue to climb despite existing security measures.
Official figures from 2025 show 11,081 reported victims of extortion, marking the highest level in the last decade. This represents a 2% increase over 2024, though experts suggest the true number of incidents is significantly higher due to widespread underreporting. For now, the registry stands as a central, yet contentious, pillar of the government's strategy to address one of the country's most persistent crimes.
