In a disappointing decision, Mexico’s Supreme Court rejected a challenge to Mexico’s Ley Telecom data retention mandates and its lack of legal safeguards. The challenge, or writ of amparo—a remedy available to any person whose rights have been violated—was filed by R3D.mx on behalf of a coalition of journalists, human rights NGOs, students arguing that Articles 189 and 190 of Ley Telcom violate the privacy rights of Mexican citizens. The articles compel the country’s telephone operators and ISPs, to retain a massive amount of metadata — including the precise location of its users — for 24 months.

En México, la Segunda Sala de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) está a punto de resolver los juicios de amparo contra la disposición de la Ley Federal de Telecomunicaciones (also know as Ley Telecom) que obliga a las operadoras de telefonía y empresas proveedores de Internet a retener masiva e indiscriminadamente los datos de comunicaciones – e incluso geolocalización – de sus usuarios por un periodo de 24 meses.