More than 1,253 people are now suing Norwegian telecom giant Telenor over claims it shared sensitive user data with Myanmar’s military junta, according to Reuters.
The lawsuit, filed in Norway by the Justice and Accountability Initiative, alleges that phone data from political opponents was handed over following the military coup in Myanmar in 2021, when the army seized power and removed the elected government.
Data used against critics
The case centres on events following the Myanmar coup d’état 2021, when the military seized power and removed the elected government.
According to the lawsuit, call logs and location data were handed over and used to track critics of the military junta.
One of the cases involves activist Aung Thu, who said the data was used in his re-arrest and later trial.
“I am hoping for justice, not just for myself, but for all the people of Myanmar,” he told Reuters.
Another case cited is that of Phoe Zeya Thaw, a politician and hip hop artist who was executed in 2022.
Telenor says it had no choice
Telenor has rejected the allegations and says it was forced to comply with the military authorities.
“Telenor Myanmar had no real options. We could not play Russian roulette with the lives of our employees,” the company said to Reuters, adding that the unit in Myanmar was operating in a war zone.
The company also said it believes the lawsuit is unlikely to succeed.
Telenor exited Myanmar in March 2022 after selling its operations following pressure from the military authorities.
The lawsuit is seeking €9,000 in compensation per affected customer.
