Mexico Requiring Cell Users to Register with Government
Mexico Requiring Cell Users to Register with Government
Posted 04/08/2010 at 4:23pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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In an effort to curb crime, the Mexican government has been mandated that all mobile phones users must register their identities with federal authorities. Individuals can do so by sending the necessary information via text message. Mexican officials have been scrambling to get users to register by the deadline this Saturday. If people fail to do so, the law says their lines must be disconnected.
The goal of the law is to avoid the anonymous number that many organized crime syndicates utilize to commit crime. Most of Mexico's 84 million mobile phones are prepaid handsets that can be purchased cheaply and require no contract. Critics of the law say that the criminal element will simply register phones under other people's names.
As of today, 30 million lines remain unregistered. It is unclear if the government will extend the deadline, or proceed with disconnection. The country's largest mobile carrier America Movil is urging lawmakers to hold off. How would you feel if you were subject to this law?
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david77
May 30, 2011 at 3:40am
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mikel19
December 15, 2010 at 9:21am
well that really intresting idea , but everobody in the goverment knows that this wont help to fight the mexican crime , you can see other places in the world that tried this and it didnt help , he most integration at whatever phones must develop .
mobiper
November 03, 2010 at 6:22am
Thanks for very good post that will more hellpfula and valuabel.specially one can easily get this.Really the goal of the law is to avoid the anonymous number that many organized crime syndicates utilize to commit crime.
kensh
October 26, 2010 at 4:30pm
I Dont like that law, i have to register my Pantech Phones it was easy but a lot of people have problems to register his phones
violian
April 09, 2010 at 11:19am
I don't see what the problem is with having to register your phone? How many phones do people go through every year? People have to register to drive cars on the roads - because roads are a public infrastructure. Cell phone use is the same thing because you're connecting to cell-towers to make calls - and those towers are protected by the government.
NSain
April 09, 2010 at 12:31pm
Cell towers are owned, operated and maintained by privite companies. The only thing the goverment does is regulate what the companies can or can't do in accordance to laws.
habuza
April 09, 2010 at 7:11am
Exactly why I don't own or even want a cell phone. Even if I did, I wouldn't register. Governments can kiss my hairy arse.
hammer6556
April 09, 2010 at 4:04am
i wouldnt like having to register just to use a throwaway phone, but almost 5500 people died in 2008 in the mexican drug war. i think thats a good enough reason to shut off some cell phones.
mjanzen
April 08, 2010 at 7:37pm
In Canada I've had to register every cell phone I've had, regardless if on a contract or a pay-as-you-go.
Don't recall seeing disposible handsets either?
Anyone seen a cell phone in Canada that is not registered with a person's name ?
og_greek
April 09, 2010 at 7:07pm
Are you implying our phones are registered with the government? I assure you mine is not, so you're wrong.
jgrimoldy
April 08, 2010 at 4:32pm
If you're not doing anything wrong, you shouldn't have a problem with this.
/snark
Peanut Fox
April 08, 2010 at 11:39pm
It really doesn't matter. The question is do Mexican citizens want this? If not, the Mexican government has failed their people on this account.
jgrimoldy
April 09, 2010 at 9:46am
It's commendable that the Mexican government realizes and admits that they have a problem. It's really nice that they'd like to do something about it.
But this is going about it in such a terribly WRONG way.
I highly doubt that this will produce any results beyond pissing off the citizens.
AndyYankee17
April 08, 2010 at 6:25pm
that's same thing governments say when they revoke the rights of the accused
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