Myanmar groups to sue Telenor over data sharing with junta | Reuters
10/14/25, 10:31 AM
Telenor shared customer data with Myanmar military, groups say
Civil society groups claim data led to arrests and executions
Telenor sale to Shwe Byain Phyu raised data access concerns
Key Points
BANGKOK, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Myanmar civil society groups said on Tuesday they are suing the
Norwegian telecoms giant Telenor, alleging it shared customer data with the Southeast Asian
nation’s ruling military that allowed the junta to track, imprison and kill civilians.
The firm, which is majority-owned by the Norwegian government, sold its business in Myanmar
after the 2021 military coup that unseated an elected government, to avoid European Union
sanctions after pressure from the junta to activate intercept surveillance technology.
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The claimants allege Telenor, which was one of the largest foreign investors in the Southeast
Asian nation, handed over data from some of its 18 million customers to comply with requests
from the military before selling to a new majority-owner with a history of business ties to the
military.
Telenor said in a statement to Reuters that it did not see anything in the legal notice that had
not already been addressed including in previous police and court investigations in Norway.
It said the company found itself in a "terrible and tragic situation" in Myanmar with "no good
options" as disobeying orders from the junta would have "been perceived as terrorism and
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/society-equity/myanmar-groups-sue-telenor-over-data-sharing-with-junta-2025-10-07/
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