Reuters reports that civil society groups in Myanmar are preparing legal action against Norwegian telecom company Telenor, accusing it of sharing customer data with the country’s military regime. The groups claim the information enabled authorities to track, detain, and in some cases kill civilians.
Telenor, which was one of Myanmar’s largest foreign investors, sold its local operations in 2022 to the company Shwe Byain Phyu after facing pressure from the military to activate surveillance technology following the 2021 coup. The groups allege that the sale, which transferred control of data from around 18 million users, gave the junta “unfettered access” to personal information.
In a statement to Reuters, Telenor said it found itself in a “terrible and tragic situation” in Myanmar, adding that refusing military orders could have endangered its staff. The company stated it had already addressed similar issues in earlier investigations in Norway and maintained that it was legally required to provide traffic data to local authorities.
The claimants include Defend Myanmar Democracy and the Myanmar Internet Project, who said they are supported by the Dutch organisation SOMO. Among them is Tha Zin, widow of lawmaker and artist Phoe Zeya Thaw, who was executed in 2022 after being accused of anti-junta activities. She said she was “terribly disturbed and shocked” by Telenor’s alleged role in his arrest.
Telenor, which is majority-owned by the Norwegian government, has not yet responded publicly to the new lawsuit plans, while Myanmar’s military authorities and Shwe Byain Phyu have declined to comment.
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