Lima Chamber of Commerce rejects criminal penalties for mobile operators

The Lima Chamber of Commerce (CCL) has expressed opposition to Bill No. 163-2026-2031-CD, proposed by Deputy Mady Verónica Yonz Núñez. The bill seeks to amend the Penal Code to include criminal penalties for the intentional failure to deactivate or block mobile services and devices linked to crimes.

The proposal suggests prison sentences of three to five years for administrators, managers, or legal representatives of mobile operators who fail to execute these blocks within one calendar day when they have the capacity to do so.

The CCL stated that while they support measures to combat extortion and crime, criminalizing operational delays is inappropriate. They warned that a one-day deadline could lead to criminal investigations for technical failures or internal coordination issues that do not involve criminal intent. The Chamber noted that Osiptel already possesses administrative and supervisory powers to address such non-compliance.