{"id":13034,"date":"2026-10-15T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T07:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/?p=13034"},"modified":"2026-10-15T10:13:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T09:13:18","slug":"mexican-football-federation-fine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/mexican-football-federation-fine\/","title":{"rendered":"Mexican Football Federation: A MXN 42.8 Million Fine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In July 2026, Mexico\u2019s Secretariat for Anti-Corruption and Good Governance (Secretar\u00eda Anticorrupci\u00f3n y Buen Gobierno) fined the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) MXN 42,849,095 (approximately \u20ac2,178,030). This penalty is one of the most significant cases in Mexico involving non-compliance with personal data protection legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What exactly happened? What violations were committed? And, most importantly, what can we learn from this case?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The FAN ID<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>FAN ID was designed as a digital and personal identification system to increase security and streamline entry to football events in Mexico\u2014a unique, personal code intended to enhance security at sports venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To obtain a Fan ID, users access their club\u2019s official website and create an account by providing their email address, phone number, and personal information. They then upload a photo of their identity document and a verification selfie with liveness detection. Based on this image, the system\u2019s biometric engine generates a three-dimensional facial map to verify the user\u2019s identity. Once the verification process is complete, a unique and non-transferable personal QR code is generated and stored on the user\u2019s phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once registered, when arriving at the sports venue, fans must present their Fan ID QR code along with their physical ID and match ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-contrast-3-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a16338b5af4e675116d239f08069fdfa\">The problem: inadequate protection of biometric data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the way the FMF processed the biometric data of millions of fans generated controversy. The authority concluded that the Federation did not properly inform users that the photographs used to create the FAN ID constituted sensitive personal data, nor did it obtain express written consent to process them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-contrast-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e6d267df5888026b2865701aebce0091\">The Two Violations Identified<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The Secretariat for Anti-Corruption and Good Governance determined that the FMF committed two specific violations of data protection legislation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-contrast-3-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-e94ff4a4ec20ec35747a046e90e26f8a\">1. Failure to provide information about sensitive data<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The FMF collected photographs of fans to generate the FAN ID, but did not state in its <strong>privacy notice<\/strong> that this data was considered sensitive. This omission prevented data subjects from understanding the full scope of the processing of their personal information and from making an informed decision about its use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was a fundamental issue because biometric data such as facial photographs is considered <strong>sensitive personal data<\/strong> under Mexican law and requires a higher level of protection and transparency. The FMF failed to meet this obligation, which led the Secretariat to impose the fine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-contrast-3-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-fe66691dd0902fc62f8b7213cb6d2993\">2. Insufficient consent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The authority also determined that using a checkbox on a website was insufficient because the law requires a signature validating the data subject\u2019s consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, not all forms of consent are equivalent. In this case, Mexico\u2019s federal personal data protection law requires consent to be express and in writing when sensitive data is involved. For this reason, the mechanism was deemed insufficient by the authority because it lacked a handwritten signature, electronic signature, or any other authentication method capable of proving the user\u2019s consent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Does This Matter? Implications for Data Protection<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>If you work for a company or institution that collects personal data, particularly sensitive data, you should consider the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Understand what constitutes sensitive data<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Biometric data (photographs, fingerprints, facial recognition)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Health information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data concerning sexual orientation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sensitive financial information<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Data that may reveal racial or ethnic origin<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Implement clear and specific privacy notices.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your privacy notice should:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Explicitly explain what sensitive data you collect<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Detail the exact purpose of the processing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>State who the data will be shared with<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Specify how long the data will be retained<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Obtain appropriate consent<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For sensitive data, consent must be <strong>express and in writing<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A checkbox alone is not sufficient<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Financial Aspect: How Was the Fine Calculated?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The amount of the penalty was determined based on the severity of the violation and the organization\u2019s financial capacity, using its 2024 tax reports as a basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This reflects a proportional approach: a small business is not penalized in the same way as a large organization. However, the MXN 42.8 million fine reflects the seriousness of processing the biometric data of millions of people without adequate safeguards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Does your company comply?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The FMF fine highlights a common problem: incomplete or ambiguous privacy notices that fail to comply with the law. If your company does not yet have up-to-date legal documentation regarding data protection, or if you want to ensure that you meet all legal requirements, now is the time to act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Automate your legal documentation with<a href=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/\"> Lawwwing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Lawwwing, you can quickly and automatically generate all the legal documentation you need: privacy notices, terms of use, and purchase terms and conditions. Everything is kept up to date with current legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Avoid fines and ensure regulatory compliance starting today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/embed\/feed\/update\/urn:li:ugcPost:7516422788514103296?collapsed=1\" height=\"534\" width=\"504\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" title=\"Publicaci\u00f3n integrada\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-1 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/blog\/\" style=\"background:linear-gradient(135deg,rgb(132,206,249) 0%,rgb(219,180,255) 100%)\">DIGITAL LAW AND DATA PROTECTION BLOG<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-query is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\"><ul class=\"wp-block-post-template is-layout-flow wp-block-post-template-is-layout-flow\"><li class=\"wp-block-post post-13034 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-sancion-en category-mexico-2 tag-consent tag-consentimiento-2 tag-proteccion-de-datos-en tag-mexico-4 tag-fan-id tag-datos-personales-sensibles tag-datos-biometricos tag-data-privacy tag-biometric-data\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/mexican-football-federation-fine\/\" target=\"_self\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Mexican-Football-Federation-a-MXN-42.8-million-fine.png\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Mexican Football Federation: A MXN 42.8 Million Fine\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Mexican-Football-Federation-a-MXN-42.8-million-fine.png 1080w, https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Mexican-Football-Federation-a-MXN-42.8-million-fine-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Mexican-Football-Federation-a-MXN-42.8-million-fine-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Mexican-Football-Federation-a-MXN-42.8-million-fine-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Mexican-Football-Federation-a-MXN-42.8-million-fine-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/mexican-football-federation-fine\/\" target=\"_self\" >Mexican Football Federation: A MXN 42.8 Million Fine<\/a><\/h2><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-12570 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-mexico-2 category-ecommerce-2 category-cookies-web-en category-sin-categorizar-en category-legislacion-web-en category-texto-legal-web-en category-cookies-banner category-cookies-policy-en category-cookies-en category-privacy-policy-en category-web-legal-texts tag-proteccion-de-datos-en tag-data-protection\">\n\n<div 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https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ecommerce-legal-text-Mexico-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ecommerce-legal-text-Mexico-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/ecommerce-legal-text-Mexico-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/legal-texts-mexico-guide\/\" target=\"_self\" >E-commerce Legal Texts in Mexico: A Compliance Guide<\/a><\/h2><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><li class=\"wp-block-post post-10445 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-terms-and-conditions-en category-internet-2 category-mexico-2 category-consent\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns are-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-3 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><figure class=\"wp-block-post-featured-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/blog_mexico-says-no-more-to-impossible-cancellations-the-reform-that-changes-digital-subscriptions\/\" target=\"_self\"  ><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/blog_mexico2.png\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Mexico says no more to impossible cancellations: the reform that changes digital subscriptions\" style=\"object-fit:cover;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/blog_mexico2.png 1080w, https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/blog_mexico2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/blog_mexico2-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/blog_mexico2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/blog_mexico2-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:75%\"><h2 class=\"wp-block-post-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/blog_mexico-says-no-more-to-impossible-cancellations-the-reform-that-changes-digital-subscriptions\/\" target=\"_self\" >Mexico says no more to impossible cancellations: the reform that changes digital subscriptions<\/a><\/h2><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In July 2026, Mexico\u2019s Secretariat for Anti-Corruption and Good Governance (Secretar\u00eda Anticorrupci\u00f3n y Buen Gobierno) fined the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) MXN 42,849,095 (approximately \u20ac2,178,030). This penalty is one of the most significant cases in Mexico involving non-compliance with personal data protection legislation. What exactly happened? What violations were committed? And, most importantly, what can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":13035,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[338,637],"tags":[372,401,677,941,942,944,948,950,951],"class_list":["post-13034","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sancion-en","category-mexico-2","tag-consent","tag-consentimiento-2","tag-proteccion-de-datos-en","tag-mexico-4","tag-fan-id","tag-datos-personales-sensibles","tag-datos-biometricos","tag-data-privacy","tag-biometric-data"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13034"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13034\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13258,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13034\/revisions\/13258"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13035"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawwwing.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}