Telenor Sued Over Myanmar Data Sharing

A Swedish non-profit, the Justice and Accountability Initiative, has filed a class action lawsuit in Norway against Telenor, a Norwegian telecom company. The lawsuit alleges that Telenor's Myanmar subsidiary shared call logs and location data of over 1,200 customers with the country's military junta following a 2021 coup. This data allegedly led to the repression, prosecution, and execution of political opponents, including activist Aung Thu and lawmaker Phyo Zeya Thaw. The lawsuit seeks 9,000 euros in damages per affected customer. Telenor, which exited Myanmar in March 2022, claims it was legally required to provide the data and that refusing could have endangered its local employees. The Open Society Justice Initiative is supporting the case, highlighting its potential to hold telecom companies accountable for data protection in authoritarian contexts.