Reporting a checkpoint via Telegram can be very expensive.

A simple warning on your mobile phone about a shared control of the Civil Guard in Telegram has become the best example of how far things can go penalties when real-time warnings are given about a police operationWhat happened in Ibiza not only affects the driver who was reported, but also sends a clear message to all those who participate in messaging groups dedicated to warning of checkpoints.

The case has put the spotlight on the use of Telegram groups, WhatsApp and other platforms to evade traffic controls and police operationsAlthough many see it as a simple "help" between drivers, authorities remind everyone that This type of warning can have very serious consequences, both financially and for everyone's safety..

The Santa Eulària control that uncovered the problem

The incident occurred on the EI-200 highway, in the municipality of Santa Eulària des Riu, in IbizaDuring a vehicle and pedestrian checkpoint set up by the Civil Guard, officers stopped a car occupied by two women, checked their documents, and allowed them to continue on their way without further apparent incident.

Shortly afterwards, the guards noticed something that made them suspicious: Traffic on that main road suddenly plummeted and numerous vehicles began to divert along a parallel local road, avoiding passing through the roundabout where the checkpoint had been set up.

Faced with this striking situation, the officers decided to go further and They reviewed the Telegram groups dedicated to traffic incidents on the island. for search for userIn one of them, very well known among drivers in Ibiza and with thousands of members, they located a short but very clear message: warned of the presence of a Civil Guard control at the Santa Eulària roundabout.

After carrying out the relevant checks, the Civil Guard obtained link the warning to one of the women identified minutes earlier at the checkpoint itself.With that relationship now established, a report was drawn up and the sanctioning procedure was initiated against the driver who had sent the message to the group.

A complaint based on the Citizen Security Law

The action against this driver is not based on traffic regulations, but on the Organic Law 4/2015, on the protection of public safety, popularly known as the Citizen Security Law. Specifically, the Civil Guard has invoked article 36.23, which classifies as a serious offense the unauthorized use of images or personal or professional data of members of the Security Forces and Corps when this may endanger their safety, that of third parties or the success of an operation.

In this context, the authorities understand that broadcast in real time the exact location of a checkpoint This falls under that provision, as it directly compromises the effectiveness of the operation and makes it easier for certain individuals to evade it. Publishing photos or license plates is unnecessary: ​​the very location of an ongoing operation can be considered sensitive data for the purposes of this law.

Serious offenses covered by these regulations are punishable by fines ranging from 601 to 30.000 eurosThe law itself establishes three tiers: from 601 to 10.400 euros (minimum degree), from 10.401 to 20.200 (intermediate level) and from 20.201 to 30.000 (maximum degree), depending on the scope of the conduct, the risk generated and the damage caused to the police operation.

Why warning about a checkpoint is not an innocent game

The Civil Guard and the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) insist that Warning others about a checkpoint is not just a simple prank between driversReporting the location of a breathalyzer, drug, or document checkpoint not only prevents some drivers from receiving a fine, but also... It opens the door for people who may be committing serious crimes to evade police action..

The agents have long warned that when an alert is issued, It's not really known who is being helpedThis could be someone driving with a suspended license, a drunk or drugged driver, a person wanted by the authorities, or someone involved in criminal activity. The checkpoints, they remind us, are not only set up to issue fines, but also to detect risky situations and protect potential victims.

Awareness campaigns in various countries have emphasized precisely this idea: The warning intended to save people from a fine may actually facilitate or prolong a crimeThat is why the security forces consider the dissemination of real-time checkpoints, whether through flashing lights on the road or via messages on social networks and messaging applications, to be especially serious.

Telegram and WhatsApp groups under scrutiny

The proliferation of WhatsApp and Telegram groups dedicated to warning about checkpoints, speed cameras, and police presence This is not an isolated phenomenon in Ibiza. Throughout Spain, there are channels with thousands of users who share daily locations of patrols, alcohol and drug checkpoints, unmarked cars, and mobile speed cameras.

The DGT itself has acknowledged that, while the usual gesture used to be flashing high beams to warn of a checkpointNow, this practice has massively shifted to mobile chats. According to officials from the Traffic Group of the Civil Guard, in some of these groups even 90% of the messages focus on reporting the position of the patrols and of the road control devices.

On Telegram, where it's possible to create channels with up to 200.000 members y access from the computerOrganized spaces have emerged by region and area, especially active in territories with high mobility or with a young population very accustomed to using digital platforms. Groups like ANONYMOUS GROUP, in Ibiza, They have amassed tens of thousands of subscribers and they have become a reference for many drivers on the island.

Law enforcement and traffic authorities have begun to react. In recent years there have been the first actions against group administrators and application managers These services were almost exclusively dedicated to providing real-time warnings of police checkpoints and mobile speed cameras. Some of these cases have already reached the courts, especially in regions like Galicia.

The role of the Anonymous Group in Ibiza

The investigation opened in Ibiza has put the Telegram channel in the spotlight ANONYMOUS GROUPwhich remains operational despite the fine levied against the driver who posted the message “Santa Eulalia roundabout checkpoint”. With over 61.000 members, it presents itself as a channel for reporting on incidents on the island's roads, from traffic jams to the presence of security forces.

According to the channel's own public description, there is a set of internal rules which prohibits commenting, asking questions, or sharing sensitive data such as license plate numbers or images of officers, precisely to avoid legal problems. The idea, as expressed by its administrators, is to focus on brief and practical announcements, reducing "noise" and trying not to include data that could compromise specific individuals.

After the complaint against the driver became public, Messages circulated within the group itself alerting people to what had happened.This may have made some users think twice before posting certain warnings. Even so, the channel continues to function normally and maintains its daily activity of messages about traffic and police presence.

The Civil Guard, for its part, has framed the Ibiza case as a specific action And it avoids giving details about whether there are other ongoing investigations related to similar channels. What it does make clear is that reports that could jeopardize an operation will continue to be analyzed and, if necessary, could be subject to sanctions.

Which ads are legal and which risk a fine

One of the key points of the debate is distinguish between traffic information and data that affects police operationsSharing that there is a traffic jam, that a road is closed due to an accident, that there is roadworks or that a vehicle has broken down at a specific point falls within the logic of informing other drivers and, in principle, does not fit the punishable scenario of article 36.23.

The case of the mobile speed cameras, spot checkpoints or unannounced devicesReporting your exact location in real time can be interpreted as an attempt to thwart an operation, especially when those checks are intended to detect serious infractions or crimes. This difference explains why the Official lists of fixed speed cameras from the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic) should be public and legal.while the spread of variable controls in closed groups may end up under scrutiny.

Furthermore, the law is not limited to the location of a checkpoint. It also refers to images, license plates and other personal or professional data of agents and devices that could allow their identification or that of protected facilities. The Spanish Data Protection Agency has reminded that a license plate, for example, can be considered personal data if it allows a natural person to be identified without disproportionate effort.

For this reason, share photos of officers, identifiable police vehicles, or license plates In messaging groups, the risk of engaging in punishable conduct increases significantly, even when the message is published with a purely informative or "warning" intention to other users.

What does the DGT say about warning of checkpoints via Telegram?

The Directorate General of Traffic has been warning for some time that messaging groups that evade radars and controls They have become a significant problem for road safety. The agency headed by Pere Navarro emphasizes that while these real-time alerts allow many drivers to avoid fines, they also reduce the preventative effect of traffic enforcement operations and can ultimately cost lives.

Various statements remind us that It is only legal to disclose the location of checkpoints when the information is public.This is not an ongoing operation, and no precise location is given that would allow for immediate avoidance. Sharing the list of fixed speed cameras that the DGT (Spanish Directorate General of Traffic) publishes on its website or in navigation apps is permitted, but reporting a hidden speed camera or a newly set-up checkpoint at a particular roundabout is a different matter.

Some proposed regulations have gone so far as to raise specific fines for group administrators who are dedicated to warning of checks, with amounts that could range between 6.000 and 20.000 euros. Although these measures have not yet been consolidated into a specific law, the case of Ibiza demonstrates that the authorities already have sufficient tools, such as the Citizen Security Law, to act against certain online behaviors.

How do the authorities assess the seriousness of these warnings?

When setting the amount of the penalty, the authorities do not just look at the isolated fact of having sent a message. The scope of the warning, the number of people potentially informed, and the risk generated are all taken into account. This applies to both agents and third parties. A comment between two people is not the same as a notice on a channel with tens of thousands of subscribers.

In the Ibiza case file, the key point highlighted by the Civil Guard is that The dissemination of the message clearly altered traffic behaviorThere was a drastic drop in traffic on the controlled road, and many drivers opted for alternative routes to avoid the checkpoint. This direct link between the warning and the impact on the operation is what would have given the complaint greater weight.

Legal sources consulted by various media outlets emphasize that The act of reporting is not illegal in itself.However, it becomes punishable when its effects compromise the security of the device or allow for the obvious evasion of police action. In other words, the private conversation itself is not targeted, but rather its use to sabotage an ongoing operation.

A warning for drivers in Spain and Europe

What happened in Ibiza acts as a Clear notice for drivers throughout Spain and, in general, the European Unionwhere authorities closely monitor similar practices. In many EU countries, measures have been tightened against the use of apps and devices designed to circumvent random checks, especially for alcohol and drugs.

The message coming from the police forces is clear: Digital tools are not a shield against the lawSharing a warning in a closed Telegram group or a WhatsApp broadcast list doesn't make it invisible. In fact, several investigations have shown that these groups can be traced and that those responsible can ultimately be held accountable by the authorities or the courts.

At the same time, the authorities insist that It's not about punishing for the sake of punishing.but rather to prevent seemingly harmless behaviors from leading to much more serious traffic violations. In a context where numerous deaths and injuries from traffic accidents are still recorded every year, Emptying the random controls of their content implies, in the eyes of the experts, a step backwards in road safety.

The case of the Ibiza driver, the focus on groups like ANONYMOUS GROUP, and the first sentences against administrators and applications that warn of controls show that The line between a simple comment and a serious infraction is becoming increasingly relevant.Think twice before warning others about a police checkpoint via Telegram. You can save yourself not only from a fine of up to 30.000 euros, but also risk situations that go far beyond an economic sanction.