In Mexico City, the Morena parliamentary group presented a proposal to toughen penalties against cybercrime. The aim is to punish those who use information and communication technologies to commit crimes such as extortion with more than 22 years in prison.
Deputy Ana BuendÃa from Morena explained that they intend to add two paragraphs to the Penal Code. One of them aims to penalize with up to five years in prison for those who manipulate image, video, or voice files to usurp another person's identity. The goal is to tackle the threats and crimes that arise with technological advancements.
They seek to sanction cybercrime in various forms, such as using social media, emails, and messaging apps to create false content, automate threats, or analyze personal data of victims in order to extort them. The proposed sentences would range from 15 to 22 and a half years in prison.
Furthermore, it is considered an aggravating factor when identity theft through information and communication technologies is carried out to commit crimes such as pornography, theft, or fraud. In these cases, penalties could reach up to 6 years and 8 months in prison.
Cybercrime has become a growing problem. Traditional crimes are now migrating to the virtual realm, where cybercriminals commit fraud and impersonation mainly through social media and cell phone hacking. In the past year, a 218% increase in these crimes has been reported in Mexico City.
A new technique of cybercrime called Sim Swapping has been identified, which consists of the fraudulent duplication of a mobile phone's SIM card. This technology is used by scammers to gain access to bank accounts and social networks.
To combat these practices, it is necessary to act with determination and toughen the laws to ensure that cybercriminals face severe consequences. The Morena proposal aims to protect citizens and prevent situations where criminals go unpunished, as occurred in a previous case where an individual was acquitted after altering photos of students from IPN using artificial intelligence.
