Norway’s Telenor telecom faces lawsuit for giving user data to Myanmar junta

October 14, 2026

Norwegian telecom giant Telenor is facing criminal and civil charges for sharing sensitive customer data with Myanmar's military junta between 2021 and 2022, potentially leading to arrests, executions, and human rights abuses. The company, which is 54-percent owned by the Norwegian government, operated in Myanmar with 18 million subscribers before exiting in 2022, but not before allegedly turning over phone numbers, location data, and personal information of at least 1,253 users to the military regime. Norwegian authorities launched a criminal investigation in September 2026, while Myanmar citizens filed a civil lawsuit seeking damages, including the widow of an executed rapper-lawmaker who says her husband was arrested immediately after his data was accessed.

Who is affected

Myanmar citizens whose data was shared with the junta (at least 1,253 phone numbers confirmed)
Telenor's 18 million Myanmar subscribers
Phyo Zeya Thaw (rapper and lawmaker who was executed) and his widow Tha Zin
Telenor employees in Myanmar
The Norwegian government (54-percent stakeholder in Telenor)
Justice For Myanmar (activist group)
Civil society groups and human rights organizations
Myanmar's democracy movement and opposition members

What action is being taken

Norway's National Criminal Investigation Service and interior security service are conducting a criminal investigation and searched Telenor's office in September 2026
The Norwegian Parliament is conducting its own investigation into Telenor's Myanmar operations (initiated December 2025)
A civil class action lawsuit filed by Myanmar citizens is proceeding against Telenor in Norway
Telenor is cooperating with authorities regarding the ongoing investigation

Why it matters

This case represents the first potential instance of holding a telecommunications company legally accountable for failing to protect user data from misuse by an authoritarian regime. If successful, it would establish a crucial legal precedent that companies cannot simply exit high-risk markets without consequences for human rights violations committed during their operations. The case challenges corporate impunity and emphasizes that technology and telecom companies maintain human rights responsibilities to users even when departing countries under autocratic rule. It also raises fundamental questions about the balance between protecting employees and protecting customers when operating under authoritarian regimes, potentially reshaping how democratic states and their corporations operate in countries with oppressive governments.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices