Mexico Will Shut Down 25.9 Million Cell Phones

Several months ago, as a way to prevent the use of cellular phones in criminal activities, the government of Mexico started a program to require all phone owners to register cell phones in their own names. The registry associates each phone with the listed owner's Clave Unica de Registro de Poblacion (CURP) [CURP, in English], which is supposed to be a unique ID for every Mexican citizen. Now, as nanahuatzin writes, Yesterday the timeline to register the cell phones expired, and there are [approx 26] million cell phones yet unregistered (English translation of the Spanish original). While the procedure is simple, sending a text message with the CURP to a special number, most people do not want to register: some are wary of the uses to which the government will put the data; others did not understand or did not know the procedure. So far, only 69% have registered, most of them in the last few days, while the system to register has been oversaturated. So in an unprecedented move for any country, the Mexican government is announcing the shutdown of 25.9 million cell phone lines. Meanwhile, as a measure of protest, hundreds of people have registered their cell phones in the name of the president of Mexico, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, to show how pointless is the registry."

Comments

Re:A desperate solution

[Frosty Piss]

...the days of a weekend in Tijuana are all but over...

Ah yes. But who will forget the Donkey Sex Show. She took it ALL! A Tijuana classic that can not be had in The States.

A new ad ...

[tomhudson]

hundreds of people have registered their cell phones in the name of the president of Mexico, Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, to show how pointless is the registry

"Hey, Felipe, CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?"

Re:Torn

[ultranova]

Most of Mexico's problems would disappear if drugs were legal, and handled by prescription drug companies.

Isn't it amazing how every all problems can be solved by lessening governmental control, according to libertarians, or increasing it, according to socialists? You'd almost think people are posting a thinly veiled ad for their pet ideologue as a comment!

Please don't mod me down just cause you disagree.

Did you add this because you think someone who's willing to mod you down because he disagrees with you will not do so if you ask him, or because it'll let you blame any downmodding on such people rather than the qualities of your comment, thus relieving you of responsibility?