Saturday, April 11, 2009
Hopes for the New Registration
The national cell phone database kicked off yesterday. From now on, anyone acquiring a new cell phone in Mexico will be required personal info, an official ID, a proof of residence, and a digital fingerprint. There has not been, as far as I know, any libertarian backlash against this plan to speak of, but I hope the government takes it upon itself to demonstrate the concrete benefits of such an intrusive program. I won't feel comfortable handing over my info the next time I buy a cell phone, but it will be some consolation knowing that the database has led to a drop in cell phone extortions. Given the regular participation by law enforcement in criminal gangs, I also hope that the press is vigilant in reporting on abuses by the plan's administrators. Finally, I hope that my cell phone, purchased last June, lasts longer than this program does.
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3 comments:
Weird. Does this mean that my prepaid Mexican phone is going to be shut off? Can a foreign resident still own a Mexican cellphone? Questions, questions.
I'm headed to the mall later today, and I will ask. I believe that it's only when you buy a new phone, but I also wonder about whether the requirements will be different for foreigners.
Supposedly, it's the same for anyone, regardless of citizenship; if you're willing to submit your info, you can own a phone. The lady told me that if you have a Mexican phone, unless you send your CURP number (I cant remember if it's the CURP that is your first initials and your year of birth, or the RFC) to Telcel, even previously owned phones are getting shut off. I find that hard to believe though. It seems unlikely Telcel would do that without a massive publicity drive, and the woman at the store was the first who told me about that. I imagine that was a fib her bosses told her to tell.
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