Mexico opens debate on AI and data access

State access to personal data

The Law on the National Intelligence and Investigation System was approved by Congress in July 2025 and, according to Infobae Mexico, gave the state legal authority to obtain personal data directly from whoever holds it, without needing a centralized registry. The same coverage says the measure changed the rules for state access to information stored in private and public databases.

That shift has raised concerns among civil society groups about the scope of data protection and the institutional checks involved. The core issue, according to Infobae Mexico, is that under the framework approved that year, the government would no longer have to justify access to certain personal data in advance.

Ongoing debates on AI and minors

While that framework is already in place by law, the rest of the regulatory agenda is still under discussion. Claudia Sheinbaum said on July 28, 2026 that her government has not drafted any bill to regulate social media use by girls, boys, and adolescents. She also clarified that a recently launched awareness campaign is not paired with any written legislative proposal.

In that same statement, the president said the immediate goal is to open a public discussion on minors’ use of social media, from which a possible proposal could emerge, though she stressed that no law or written restriction exists yet.

DPL News reported a day earlier that the SEP opened a national debate on a possible regulation of the use of cellphones, social media, digital platforms, and artificial intelligence in Mexico’s schools. According to that report, the discussion focuses on mental health and the development of girls, boys, and adolescents, but it remains at the debate stage, with no enforcement tools or implementation timeline defined.

Infobae Mexico also published a video titled "El Gobierno de México abre un debate nacional para regular el uso de la IA y las redes sociales en menores", in which it attributes to the SEP, UNESCO, and academic specialists the start of forums to build a legislative proposal on digital platforms.

Sector-specific rules and a missing general law

In parallel, Expansión Política reported that the federal government has pushed the expansion of criminal intelligence and video surveillance platforms without a general law on artificial intelligence applied to public security. RadioNet, for its part, quoted PAN lawmaker Federico Döring, who said that "no hay nada concreto" about a federal AI bill and that Congress first needs to define its authority to legislate on the matter.

That diagnosis matches a broader reading of the legislative process: AI regulation is moving forward sector by sector, while a general law remains on hold. The debate is also playing out in San Luis Potosí, where Infobae Mexico reported that the state Congress repealed the offenses tied to the use of artificial intelligence known as the "Ley Serrano", after public controversy over its impact on freedom of expression.

El Heraldo de México added that multidisciplinary working sessions are expected in that state between September 15 and December 15 to shape new legislation on the use of artificial intelligence.