Mexico mandates biometric digital ID system in major overhaul of national identification

• Mexico has made its previously voluntary CURP (Unique Population Registry Code) a mandatory digital ID, now embedded with biometric data such as fingerprints, iris scans and photographs via QR code.
• The new biometric CURP is being gradually introduced, with full adoption expected by February 2026. It aims to streamline access to public services and reduce identity fraud.
• The reform includes creating a centralized Unified Identity Platform within 90 days, integrating CURP with various government and private sector databases for real-time identity verification.
• Critics warn that the system lacks transparency and legal safeguards, with no requirement to notify citizens when their data is accessed. Rights groups fear it could enable mass surveillance and data misuse.
• Activists also caution that biometric CURP data could be shared internationally, possibly facilitating deportation agreements with U.S. agencies and expanding the reach of Mexican intelligence services.

The Mexican government has formally mandated the use of a new biometric-based digital identification system, transforming the previously voluntary Unique Population Registry Code (CURP) into a compulsory digital ID.

CURP, originally launched in 1996, served as a non-biometric personal identifier for both Mexican citizens and legal residents. It has been widely used for everything from filing taxes and registering companies to enrolling in school and applying for passports.

Under the new law, CURP IDs will now include embedded biometric data like fingerprints, iris scans and photographs, encoded within a scannable QR code. CURP codes have traditionally been used to facilitate critical processes such as tax filing, company registration, school enrollment and passport applications.

However, the enhanced version, set to fully roll out by February 2026, will streamline identification, reduce fraud and provide a centralized way to access public services.

The digital ID overhaul is part of a broader initiative to consolidate numerous government databases into a single Unified Identity Platform. Under the law, the Ministry of the Interior and the federal Digital Transformation Agency have 90 days to launch the new platform, which will serve as a centralized identity hub for various public and private sector services.

Once implemented, the platform will be integrated across institutions including banks, hospitals, schools and government agencies. This will allow them to verify individuals’ identities in real time using the upgraded CURP credentials. (Related: U.K. government to launch digital ID wallet this summer.)

Mexico’s biometric ID rollout sparks surveillance fears

The Mexican government has maintained that the biometric CURP system is compliant with current privacy and cybersecurity laws. President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed criticism earlier this July, saying that any surveillance, such as wiretaps, must be authorized by a judge.

The government has emphasized the potential for the Unified Identity Platform to assist in addressing Mexico’s long-standing crisis of disappearances. The platform will be linked to the National Registry of Missing and Unlocated Persons and the National Forensic Data Bank, allowing for faster identification of bodies and the tracking of missing individuals.

However, privacy advocates and human rights organizations have raised urgent concerns over a growing surveillance apparatus with limited transparency or safeguards. Critics argued that the mandatory nature of the new system and the lack of clear oversight mechanisms pose serious risks to civil liberties.

One of the most contentious issues is that under the current law, government agencies are not required to notify citizens when their biometric data is accessed, used or shared.

“This puts us in a massive surveillance ecosystem with no provisions to identify wrong use of data, data breaches, identity theft or acts of corruption,” said José Flores, director of digital rights group R3D.

Civil society groups, including Article 19, have also warned that the new ID system could give intelligence services, such as the National Intelligence Centre and the National Guard, unrestricted access to biometric data. This access, they argued, lacks the oversight and transparency necessary to prevent abuse.

Rights organizations were also raising red flags about potential data-sharing arrangements with foreign governments. Activists warned that the CURP system could eventually be used to support deportation cooperation with U.S. law enforcement agencies by allowing biometric verification across borders.

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Digital ID system incoming: Nebraska now collecting citizens’ digital health data.

EU collaborates with foreign governments on digital ID.

Australia following Communist China’s footsteps with digital ID system.

Sources include:

ReclaimtheNet.org

BiometricUpdate.com

Brighteon.com