Mexico gets new biometric national identity document

Mexico’s federal government has gotten the political green light to create a new biometric national identity document – although it could face legal challenges in a system that has previously ruled centralized biometric systems to be unconstitutional.

According to Infobae, the document known as “Llave MX” (or “MX Key”) will incorporate biometric elements such as fingerprints, iris scans and facial photographs, to prevent identity theft and strengthen identification for all Mexicans through biometrics.

The document, an updated version of the numerical Unique Population Registry Code (CURP) assigned to Mexican citizens, will function as an officially recognized ID, intended to “promote a more efficient, transparent, and modern public administration by simplifying and digitizing procedures at all levels of government.”

The government of President Claudia Sheinbaum is pursuing a larger plan for a “centralized digital platform for managing administrative processes, the purpose of which is to have a single digital identity associated with the holder’s CURP.”

Critics say the move to biometrics for the CURP creates a greater risk of government privacy violations or data breaches. Digital rights group R3D has noted that vulnerable groups who do not obtain a biometric CURP could face exclusion from government services. And a piece in Derecha Diario quotes digital activist Marianne Díaz, who argues that “if you need the biometric CURP to live, there’s no real freedom to refuse.”

Yet there is momentum behind the ruling to enact the National Law to Eliminate Bureaucratic Procedures and Corruption, which aims to crack down on corrupt bureaucracies. It establishes a period of 180 calendar days, starting from the date of entry into force of the law, for states and municipalities to establish “Simplification and Digitalization Authorities.”

The Digital Transformation and Telecommunications Agency is responsible for implementing, supervising and monitoring application of the law – which, as described, is either “a policy of social justice that seeks to close historical gaps” or a “transformative tool that will eliminate 50 percent of procedures, standardize requirements and digitize 80 percent of processes through the National Citizen Service System.” (Or both.)

Regardless, the biometric CURP (which is not obligatory) has already proven popular;  the state of Veracruz, the first to issue biometric CURPs, has seen lineups for registration.

However, it could see legal challenges based on precedent. In 2021, Mexico’s Supreme Court declared a biometric-based national register of mobile telephone users unconstitutional. A similar challenge could see the biometric CURP face the same judgment.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometric identifiers  |  biometrics  |  Clave Única de Registro de Población (CURP)  |  identity document  |  Mexico  |  MX Key  |  national ID