Colombia advances seismic alert bill

Two bills moving through Colombia’s Congress make direct mention of cybersecurity and technical requirements. One seeks to create a national early seismic alert system that would work on mobile phones, radio and television. The other would regulate the installation and operation of photo enforcement cameras, known locally as fotomultas, with an emphasis on road safety and state oversight.

What does the seismic alert bill propose?

The proposal calls for a national early seismic alert system that could send warnings to cellphones, radio and television, but it still has to complete its legislative process before taking effect. According to RCN Radio, the initiative also includes a unified technical framework covering interoperability, alert protocols, cybersecurity, pilot tests and drills.

Infobae Colombia reported that the framework would have to be agreed by the national government and telecommunications, radio and television companies within six months. Red+ Noticias added that the alert would be designed to reach all cellphones, regardless of operating system, balance, data access or network congestion.

What would the technical rules cover?

The unified rules would cover connectivity, interoperability and cybersecurity, and would be defined through an agreement between the government and the private sector within six months. Coverage from RCN Radio and Infobae Colombia repeats that the initiative is not limited to issuing alerts, but also sets out technical conditions so the system can operate in a coordinated way across media outlets and operators.

The cybersecurity reference appears in that operational context, tied to the design of the alert system and not to a broader data protection or digital security framework. In the material reviewed, there is no specific comprehensive cybersecurity bill under consideration, only targeted references within these sector-specific initiatives.

What is happening with speed cameras?

At the same time, a separate bill is moving through Congress to regulate the installation and operation of photo enforcement cameras to strengthen road safety. Noticias RCN said the initiative is aimed at that goal, and El Heraldo specified that Bill 032 of 2026 seeks new rules for the placement, operation and oversight of these cameras, with a focus on accident prevention and protecting life, not on revenue collection.

El Heraldo added that the Ministry of Transport will review how speed cameras are operating nationwide and verify authorization, technical and legal basis, crash rates, speed limits, signage and the conditions of each road corridor. That review adds to the legislative debate over how these devices are installed and operated on roads across the country.