Los Cabos Tourists’ Personal Data Allegedly At Risk According To Transport Providers

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Last Updated 3 months ago

Los Cabos is vastly renowned in the tourist sector for being one of the safest destinations in Mexico. 

However, according to transport providers operating in the area, visitors’ personal data may now be at risk. 

According to them, transportation inspectors are currently requesting tourists’ private information about local transportation companies.

But what happened exactly and should tourists be concerned?

What happened?

This February 14th, Los Cabos transport providers, specifically those operating in Cabo San Lucas, held a demonstration to protest against local inspectors who allegedly exceeded their duties by requesting tourists’ confidential information.

According to local news, several transportation companies were affected by these events. Benjamín Peña, the legal representative of one of these companies, also took part in the protests. 

“Currently, the state, its inspectors, are requesting a pre-contract, a company’s internal control document, which we have,” said Benjamín Peña. He then added: “However, this contains private data.”

On top of this, Benjamín Peña reported that authorities are now also asking to check a document for internal use containing clients’ confidential information. This includes data such as visitors’ addresses, account numbers, and other private information. 

Commenting on this issue, Benjamín Peña said: “It has private data, data belonging to tourists, such as their bank account, address, full name, flight, itinerary (…). [This is] very important data that cannot be treated so simply since it violates tourists’ [right to privacy]. This is why we are here demonstrating.”

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The tip of the iceberg

This recent issue seems to be the tip of the iceberg for the many transportation providers operating in Los Cabos. 

Benjamín Peña declared that this is only the last of a series of abuses of authority from local inspectors as, according to him, those operating in this sector constantly have to deal with harassment from the state authorities. 

“Today we are here, once again, demonstrating due to the acts of annoyance that we suffer from the state authorities since they exceed their functions, they commit abuse of authority,” said Benjamín Peña. 

He later declared that authorities tend to only benefit certain operators that have been in the business for years and are therefore preventing new companies from offering their services freely at the expense of local tourists who can only rely on a few options when booking their transportation. 

Talking about local inspectors, Benjamín Peña said: “[They] only seek to benefit those who have historically benefited. Certain families that have a transportation monopoly who, illegally, seek to stop the rest of the companies that, under another federal jurisdiction, are in charge of providing a luxury service that directly competes with theirs.”

More inspectors 

Only a few days ago, the Los Cabos government decided to hire new transportation provider inspectors.

According to the competent authorities, this decision was taken to prevent those offering this service illegally from operating in the area, therefore protecting all companies working in this sector. 

In particular, in late January, Los Cabos’ Mayor, Oscar Leggs Castro, decided to hire ten new inspectors following taxi drivers’ demonstrations. 

On this occasion, he declared: “Measures have already been initiated so that, in addition to the 30 municipal inspectors who were commissioned by the State, after training, 10 more inspectors will be authorized to (…) support the work that is being carried out.”

The newly hired inspectors not only have the role of checking whether all taxi drivers are in possession of the right documentation to keep operating in Los Cabos but, according to Oscar Leggs Castro, they are also in charge of giving “Order and surveillance to transportation.”

The Mayor then expressed his sympathies for the many taxi drivers who protested in late January by stating that the Los Cabos’ municipality will always be “Respectful of the right to free demonstration, always maintaining open channels for dialogue with all sectors in the search for solutions to the problems that arise.”

It is still unclear whether the local authorities will also take action to initiate an open dialogue with the many transportation providers who are now demonstrating against the government inspectors.