Mexican Congress Approves Controversial 'Spy Law,' Sparking Outcry Over Privacy Concerns

MEXICO CITY – Mexican lawmakers have approved a controversial new "Spy Law" that grants the government extensive powers to access citizens' personal data without a judicial warrant. The legislation, pushed through by the ruling Morena party and its allies, has sparked widespread condemnation from opposition factions, who argue it poses a severe threat to privacy and civil liberties. The new law permits the Secretariat of Security, currently headed by Omar García Harfuch, to obtain telephone records, biometric data, banking information, and security registrations. Proponents of the bill assert these measures are crucial for intelligence-gathering operations aimed at combating crime and apprehending criminals. However, opposition deputies from parties including PRI, PAN, and Movimiento Ciudadano have vehemently denounced the law. During a heated parliamentary session, they labeled the reform as "misleading" and a direct "attack" on the rights of Mexican citizens. Deputy Xitlalic Ceja of the PRI stated, "This constitutes a fraud against the law, but above all, an attack." Another deputy, César Damián Retes of the PAN, warned that the law would "legalize government espionage" and enable the authorities to "spy on your cell phone, your computer, and have all your information to censor, intimidate, and threaten you." Morena deputy Olga Leticia Chávez defended the legislation, urging the opposition to "update yourselves, ignorants!" and suggesting that artificial intelligence could deduce information in minutes. Critics, however, maintain that the rushed approval and the broad scope of data access without judicial oversight undermine fundamental legal protections and could lead to abuses of power.