Repression and Data: Lawsuit Against Telenor's Myanmar Operations

A Swedish non-profit has filed a class action lawsuit against Telenor, claiming its Myanmar subsidiary shared phone data with the military junta, leading to repression. This lawsuit, if successful, could set a precedent in holding telecom companies accountable for data protection under authoritarian regimes.

On Tuesday, a class action lawsuit was filed against Telenor by a Swedish non-profit, representing over 1,200 individuals. The lawsuit claims Telenor's Myanmar branch shared personal phone data with the military junta post the 2021 coup, exposing citizens to potential harm.

The case, brought by the Justice and Accountability Initiative in Norway, accuses Telenor Myanmar of relinquishing call logs and location data of political dissidents, leading to dire consequences including execution and imprisonment. Each affected customer is seeking 9,000 euros in damages for breach of data protection.

While Telenor, largely owned by the Norwegian government, argues compliance was mandated by local laws, they acknowledge the potential misuse of shared data by the junta. The lawsuit hopes to establish a legal precedent in obliging telecom firms to shield user data from misuse by authoritarian entities.