Telenor faces class action lawsuit over Myanmar data sharing

The Asker and Bærum District Court has ruled that a class action lawsuit against the Norwegian telecommunications giant Telenor may proceed. The lawsuit, filed by the Swedish non-profit Justice and Accountability Initiative (JAI) on behalf of at least 1,253 customers in Myanmar, seeks damages of approximately 9,000 euros per person. The total claim is estimated to be at least 130 million NOK.

The plaintiffs allege that Telenor shared sensitive customer data with the Myanmar military regime following the 2021 coup. They link this data sharing to severe human rights violations, including the imprisonment and execution of dissidents. Telenor has stated that there is no basis for liability, arguing that employees faced risks of imprisonment, torture, or death if they had not complied with military orders.

This legal development follows recent criminal investigations by the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) and Kripos. Both agencies have indicted Telenor for potential complicity in crimes against humanity related to its former operations in Myanmar and recently conducted searches at the company’s headquarters in Bærum.