Norway Investigates Telenor Over Myanmar Data Sharing and Sanctions Concerns

Summary

Norwegian agencies are investigating Telenor over alleged customer-data sharing with Myanmar’s military and possible sanctions violations in its subsidiary sale. Police raided Telenor’s Oslo headquarters; the company says employees faced serious risks.

Key points

• Norway’s National Criminal Investigation Service is examining whether Telenor’s conduct from the February 2021 coup until the March 2022 sale of its Myanmar unit amounted to complicity in crimes against humanity.
• Officials say Telenor repeatedly handed historical customer traffic data to Myanmar’s military during that period.
• The Police Security Service is investigating whether the subsidiary sale included sanctioned surveillance equipment without Foreign Ministry permission.
• Norwegian law enforcement raided Telenor’s Oslo headquarters and the company says it has provided documents and other information to investigators.
• Telenor says employees risked imprisonment, torture, or death if they failed to comply with military orders.
• Human rights groups and lawsuits allege data was used to locate, detain, and torture people; the article also reports an alleged execution linked to information obtained through Telenor data.

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