Emir Olivares and Alonso Urrutia
La Jornada Newspaper
Wednesday, January 14, 2026, p. 6
It is up to cell phone companies to take care of users’ personal data, President Claudia Sheinbaum said yesterday after the controversy that arose over the weekend as a result of the registration of those who use pre- and postpaid schemes.
“There are 158 million cell phones in the country, more than the population, registration is very important to guarantee security and particularly now that we are working on the issue of extortion,” he indicated.
Questioned about the issue of user registration and complaints on social networks for the alleged data leak, the president insisted that it is up to the firms in that sector to protect their clients’ information.
He rejected that the authorities are going to make inappropriate use of this type of data: “It has nothing to do with surveillance, with knowing where people are, but they simply register with the telephone company and if there is a crime, the corresponding security or law enforcement areas ask the company for the information of the telephone with which a crime was committed. Those who keep the information are the telephone companies.
“Only the authority has access to that information, if a crime was committed with that phone. For example, if they call, if there are extortion or fraud calls, and people report it to 089, now the authority can say (to the company): ‘let’s see, who owns this phone?'”
Meanwhile, when asked about the issue of fraud through the use of artificial intelligence, the head of the Executive stated that it should be debated: “It is important that the debate takes place this year. To what extent, whether it is regulated or not.”
Regarding whether she will present an initiative, the President responded: “It is an issue that has to be debated among everyone, to be able to guarantee that false information and fraud do not prevail. Regulation has its complications, but it is very important to debate it and together define how the citizen is protected, which is what interests us citizens.”
Regarding the electoral reform, he only said that an “adequation” is sought in order to reduce the time that political parties have by law for spots on radio and television.
