Mexico wanted to end phone anonymity. SIM cards in someone else’s identity are now being sold on the black market

Mexico has required every mobile line to be tied to an ID by June 30, or it may be disconnected.

Investigators found black-market SIMs in central Mexico City already being sold under other people’s identities for cash.

The official biometric registration process can reportedly be bypassed, with vendors using WhatsApp to submit SIM barcode photos for fraudulent activations, often on Movistar.

Public trust is low after past ID databases were leaked or struck down in court, and carriers have already lost many prepaid lines.

The policy is meant to curb extortion and fraud, but weak checks and a SIM gray market could undermine it while raising privacy and identity-theft risks.