As Mexico’s Biometric ID Draws Closer, Implementation Remains Uncertain
Looking toward 2026, Mexicans and foreigners residing in Mexico are preparing to navigate an uncertain future regarding new laws that require biometric identification for certain services.
In July 2025, several new laws took effect in Mexico that greatly increase opportunities for government surveillance and coerce the population into registering for a biometric program required to access many services, including banking, health programs, social welfare, education, cellphone service, and internet access.
While the laws are set to be phased into practice beginning in February and continuing throughout the spring of 2026, it remains unclear how the policies will be enforced in a country known for its weak federal government and rampant corruption. It is also uncertain how the infrastructure for such programs will be implemented in Mexico’s vast rural areas, where as much as one fifth of the population resides.
The biometric requirement relates to Mexico’s personal identity code for citizens and residents, known as the Clave Única de Registro de Población (Unique Population Registry Code), or CURP. The CURP typically consists of 18 characters derived from a person’s family names, date and place of birth, and gender. It functions similarly to the US Social Security number.
The new laws will require the CURP to include the holder’s photograph and a QR code embedding biometric data, including scans of both fingerprints and irises. The legislation mandates the creation of a “Unified Identity Platform,” managed by the Ministry of the Interior and the Digital Transformation Agency. This platform will integrate the biometric CURP with the healthcare system as well.
The biometric CURP would also be required for purchasing internet and cellular services. This would force businesses selling these services to check a customer’s CURP before purchase. Individuals who do not comply with the CURP requirement could see their internet or phone service interrupted.
Mexico’s civilian intelligence service, the Centro Nacional de Inteligencia (CNI), and the National Guard will have access to the biometric data.
The Mexican government says these new laws are aimed at fighting organized crime and drug trafficking, as well as helping with the search for missing people. The government has also argued that controversial changes to the nation’s telecommunications laws are designed to bridge the so-called “digital divide,” referring to the limited access to internet and cellular service in rural areas compared to urban environments.
Reuters recently reported on the new laws:
“This measure has generated divided opinions among Mexicans. On one hand, there is fear that it could become a tool for government surveillance as the National Guard (GN) and the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC) can access individuals’ delicate information that will include bank and telecommunications data. On the other, it represents hope for thousands of families who have been searching for their loved ones in a country in which 42 people disappear daily on average according to the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons (RNPDNO).”
José Raúl González Ramírez, who holds a Master’s in notarial law and is an aspirant assigned to Notary 1 in Cuernavaca, Morelos, told Reuters that, if the laws are implemented correctly, it “could provide stronger safeguards against identity fraud.” However, he warned that “without a reliable database and proper data management” it could become a “serious problem.”
Timeline of Implementation Uncertain
How and when the programs will be fully implemented remains uncertain. Since the passing of the laws in July, the states of Veracruz and Mexico, along with Mexico City, have been testing out registration modules where residents and citizens can register for the biometric CURP. Mexico City expanded its modules starting in October 2025. Data regarding the rates of registration has not been publicly released.
The Mexican government has announced that, starting in January 2026, the biometric CURP registry will be handled by the Civil Registry and offices of the National Population Registry (RENAPO) at the national level. The program is expected to become fully effective and mandatory in February 2026, though registration has not yet begun in the vast majority of the country. Details on how the government plans to register Mexico’s population of over 130 million remain unclear.
In order to register for the new CURP, individuals will need to provide their current official identification (known as an INE or a Mexican passport), a certified birth certificate, proof of address, and an active email address. Applicants will also have their fingerprints and face scanned.
There have been some signs of resistance to the controversial new laws.
In late August 2025, a federal collegiate tribunal in Yucatán granted a provisional suspension of the requirement to provide biometric data, following a legal challenge known as an amparo lawsuit. The amparo originated in Mexico with the Yucatán Constitution of 1841 and has been used throughout Latin America since the 19th century as a tool for legal remedy.
According to a report by Yucatán Magazine:
“The Collegiate Tribunal for Criminal and Administrative Matters in Yucatán granted a provisional suspension that prevents authorities from mandating biometric data for the Unique Population Registry Code (CURP). The decision came after a citizen filed a complaint following an initial denial by a federal judge.
The First Collegiate Tribunal for Administrative and Civil Matters in Querétaro also granted provisional suspensions that prevent authorities from requiring biometric data—fingerprints, photographs, and even iris scans—for the procedure.”
The report also notes that federal judge Oswaldo Rivera González in Mexico City issued suspensions in response to amparo suits filed by several citizens. The judge stated that the provisional suspension can be revoked if it is later determined that the law meets constitutional criteria.
While amparos offer one avenue for Mexicans to push back against the new laws, recent changes to the existing amparo law could weaken its effectiveness as a legal defense. As of October, if an individual or group challenges a law or government policy, a court’s ruling can only protect the plaintiffs and does not negate the law for the entire country’s population. José Ramón Cossío Díaz, a Mexican lawyer who served as Minister of the Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico, called the changes a “significant setback in safeguarding the country’s human rights, ultimately benefiting the government rather than its citizens.”
Will it be Mandatory?
Many questions remain about whether the biometric CURP will actually be mandatory for daily life. President Claudia Sheinbaum has repeatedly stated that it is voluntary, and some media reports have claimed the same.
However, critics point out that the 2025 reform to the General Population Law makes the biometric CURP the mandatory national identification document for most official and private transactions, with full enforcement expected starting in February 2026.
As travel blog Mexperience recently noted, “In practice it might become impossible to enter into certain programs and transactions in Mexico in future without a Biometric CURP, for example: healthcare, government programs, school enrollment, and banking.”
In addition to requiring CURP verification to activate internet or cellular service, the newly passed measures include changes to Mexico’s telecommunications law. For example, the law forces internet service providers to share users’ real-time geolocation data with Mexican authorities upon request.
While Sheinbaum claims that no data will be shared without a court order, critics say the changes will not require judicial approval before tracking a cellphone. They also warn that Mexican authorities will be able to shut down cellphone or internet service whenever and wherever they choose, in the name of fighting crime.
In September, José Flores, director of local digital rights group Network in Defense of Digital Rights (R3D), released a “concept note“ about the laws and the dangers they pose. The organization has filed their own amparos against the package of laws.
According to R3D, the telecommunications law sets a deadline by January 2026 for guidelines to be published and shared with the telecommunications companies. They also say that unregistered cellphone and internet account will be cancelled by May 2026 (with recent updates indicating implementation as early as January 2026 for suspensions).
“This unprecedented system of surveillance and social control is also an indirect restriction on freedom of expression and the right to association, as it implies the possibility of civil and military authorities accessing sensitive data, including the places where people are, who they meet or talk with, and all their daily activities, creating a hostile environment for the expression of political criticism and dissent,” the group writes.
The group called on international activists and organizations to sound the alarms about Mexico’s new invasive laws.
“As an organization, we are preparing to challenge these laws in court. However, we believe that international support is crucial to raising awareness about these risks, so we invite you to help spread this information to others.“
What Does the Future Hold?
With 2026 only days away, Mexican citizens, foreign residents, and tourists are anxiously awaiting more details on how the biometric CURP and associated laws will actually be implemented. Unfortunately, apart from organizations like R3D and Article 19, along with a few scattered lawsuits, there has not been major resistance to these invasive programs from the Mexican people.
If there is any hope in stopping the rise of biometrics in Mexico it will take a mass movement of Mexicans and foreign residents uniting to stop the surveillance before it’s too late.
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