Argentina, Mexico Advance Cybersecurity Laws

In Mendoza, Fuerza Patria lawmakers introduced a cybercrime bill centered on personal data protection, applying to the provincial and municipal public sectors. In Rio Negro, a bill entered the provincial legislature to regulate the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the public sector. In Mexico, a federal cybersecurity law is advancing alongside a phishing offense in Mexico City.

What moved in Mendoza and Rio Negro?

In Mendoza, Fuerza Patria lawmakers introduced a cybercrime bill focused on protecting personal data, applicable to the provincial and municipal public sectors, while the national executive branch’s Cybersecurity Law bill remains under debate in Senate committees.

The Mendoza initiative comes as different subnational jurisdictions across the region seek to set their own rules on digital security, data, and emerging technologies. In Rio Negro, a bill entered the legislature to establish a regulatory framework for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the provincial public sector. The proposal aims to set principles and limits for how state agencies use AI.

What is advancing in Mexico at the federal level?

In Mexico, alongside the new federal data protection law and changes to identity and population rules, the Senate is advancing an initiative identified as the Cybersecurity Law. It was introduced in 2025 and is structured into 64 articles.

According to the analysis cited, it is emerging as the first comprehensive federal law for cybersecurity governance and could be published in the Official Gazette of the Federation in the second half of 2026.

What did Mexico City do with phishing?

The same analysis points to another regulatory move in Mexico City. The capital explicitly added phishing as a crime in its Criminal Code through new Article 231 Bis.

The measure was promoted by lawmaker Olivia Garza de los Santos, approved unanimously on May 21, 2026, published in the Official Gazette on July 22, and took effect on July 23, 2026. The law sets penalties of three to six years in prison and fines of 200 to 600 UMA, strengthening the criminal side of the cybersecurity and compliance framework.

What does this regulatory map show?

The cases in Mendoza, Rio Negro, and Mexico City show how several subnational jurisdictions are moving in parallel with national debates over cybersecurity, data protection, and artificial intelligence.

In Mexico, expectations are focused on the possible publication of a comprehensive federal law in the second half of 2026, while in Argentina the provincial bills and the national legislative debate remain open.