Telenor Sued Over Myanmar Data Sharing

A Swedish non-profit, Justice and Accountability Initiative, has filed a class action lawsuit in Norway against Telenor, a Norwegian telecom company, alleging its Myanmar subsidiary shared phone data of over 1,200 customers with Myanmar's military junta following a 2021 coup. The lawsuit claims Telenor is liable for 9,000 euros per customer, citing cases like the execution of Phyo Zeya Thaw and the re-arrest of Aung Thu, whose data was allegedly shared. Telenor, which is 54% owned by the Norwegian state, has stated it was legally required to provide the data and that refusing could have endangered its local employees. The company sold its Myanmar business and exited the country in March 2022 to avoid European Union sanctions. The case is seen as a potential landmark for corporate accountability in protecting user data from authoritarian regimes.