Last reviewed: September 14, 2026
In general, yes. Mexican law gives those who hold patria potestad (parental authority) the duty to care for and protect their children under 18, and that duty extends to their digital life. At the same time, the General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents recognizes their right to privacy, which grows with age, so supervision has to be proportionate. With an adult — your partner, your ex or a child over 18 — intercepting their communications without consent is a federal crime.
It is the most common question among parents in Mexico, and the short answer fits in a paragraph. The details matter because the law treats reading a chat, seeing a location and recording a call differently, and because a 9-year-old and a 17-year-old are not the same case. This guide goes through the Constitution, the Federal Civil Code, the LGDNNA and the Federal Criminal Code so you can supervise your child without crossing a line.
Article 16 of the Constitution establishes that private communications are inviolable and that only a federal judge can authorize their interception. That guarantee protects people against the State and against third parties — it is the reason going through another adult's phone is a crime. But the same Constitution, in article 4, orders that the best interests of the child guide every decision and charges parents with preserving the rights of children and adolescents. Parental supervision of a minor rests on that second mandate.
The Federal Civil Code (articles 411 to 414) grants patria potestad to father and mother; article 422 obliges them to raise their children properly, with the power to correct them — never with violence — under article 423. The General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents makes it concrete in article 103: those who hold patria potestad must guarantee the minor's rights, protect them against every form of violence and guide them, including in the use of information technologies. Supervising the phone of a child under 18, for protection and in proportion to their age, is part of that duty.
The same law recognizes children and adolescents' right to personal and family privacy and to the protection of their personal data. Against their parents that right is not absolute, but it demands proportionality: the older the child, the more reasonable privacy they are owed. Checking a 9-year-old's chats daily is one thing; doing it with a 17-year-old without a concrete reason is another. What the law never covers is exposing, sharing or using against them what you see: a minor's data deserves even more care than an adult's.
Intercepting private communications without a court order is punished with six to twelve years in prison and a fine (article 177 of the Federal Criminal Code), and accessing someone else's device or computer system without authorization is another offense (article 211 bis 1). This applies to your partner, your ex, a child over 18 and any employee's personal device, even if you pay the plan. And since the "Ley Olimpia" (article 199 octies of the Federal Criminal Code and its state equivalents), sharing intimate content without consent is digital violence. That binds you too: never share screenshots of a minor's conversations.
The law does not require telling a minor. But the best interests of the child, and the digital-parenting guidance from SIPINNA and UNICEF Mexico, recommend transparency: explain what is supervised, why and until when. A teenager who discovers by accident that they were watched experiences it as a betrayal and becomes more secretive — the opposite of what you want. A written family agreement is also your best backing if anyone questions the supervision, for instance in a custody case.
When parents are separated, both keep patria potestad unless a judge rules otherwise: supervising the child is defensible; using their phone to watch the other parent is not, and it tends to backfire in family court. If a court order regulates communication with the minor, respect it. Devices handed out by a school are governed by the school's rules. And an emancipated or married child is treated as an adult.
Confirm your child is under 18 and that you hold patria potestad or guardianship. Use a device you own or that your child uses under your responsibility. Have a real protective reason and write it down. Talk to your child and, with teenagers, agree the rules in writing. Scale the scope to their age: less supervision as they grow. Keep what you see private, never share screenshots, and protect your account with a strong password. When they turn 18, stop, or turn it into an arrangement with their consent.
Generally yes, as a parent holding patria potestad, especially with a protective reason. The LGDNNA recognizes a right to privacy that grows with age, so keep the scope proportionate and make sure your child knows the rules.
Yes, for a minor in your care. Tracking an adult's location without consent — partner, ex, adult child — is illegal and can amount to harassment.
This is the most delicate area. The other person on the call has not consented and, if they are an adult, the recording could be treated as interception of private communications. Limit it to concrete risk situations, with your child's knowledge; call logs and messages do not raise that problem.
No. Intercepting another adult's communications without consent is a federal crime (article 177 of the Federal Criminal Code), even if you are married or pay for the phone, and sharing what you find can be digital violence under the Ley Olimpia.
Not without their consent. Paying the plan or owning the device does not give you the right to supervise an adult. If they agree, in writing, that is a different situation.
Yes, when it is installed on the Android phone of your own minor child, or on an adult's device with their informed consent. Any other use is illegal and violates the terms of service.
How to set it up as parental controlThis guide is general information about Mexican law as of the review date, not legal advice. Laws change, and each state's civil and criminal codes may add rules. If your case is specific — a custody trial, an emancipated minor, a criminal complaint — consult a family-law attorney.
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