A major class-action lawsuit has officially been filed in Norway against telecommunications giant Telenor, alleging the company shared sensitive user data with Myanmar’s military, resulting in severe harm to pro-democracy activists and civilians following the coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
Joseph Wilde-Ramsing, the Director of Advocacy at the Center for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO), confirmed to DVB the formal filing of the litigation on behalf of victims. The legal action is being represented by the Swedish non-profit Justice and Accountability Initiative (JAI).
“This is a big moment,” Wilde-Ramsing said. “We have been on a five or six-year journey trying to defend the rights of the victims there and get some justice and accountability for them.”
The lawsuit currently centers on 1,253 phone numbers identified as having been specifically requested by the military and provided by Telenor.
Wilde-Ramsing added that this is an opt-out class-action lawsuit, meaning all individuals associated with those numbers are automatically included unless they choose to withdraw.
He expects the number of claimants to grow significantly as the legal process forces Telenor to disclose the full extent of its data sharing during discovery.
The case demands both financial compensation for victims who suffered quantifiable harm—such as the loss of a livelihood or the murder of a family member—as well as non-pecuniary damages for the widespread stress and hardship caused by the data breach.
A shift from the “disengagement” argument
This formal lawsuit represents a sharp escalation from previous accountability efforts. An earlier complaint filed in 2021 through the National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct Norway (NCP Norway) primarily focused on Telenor’s “irresponsible disengagement” when it sold its Myanmar operations to a military-linked company.
In December, the NCP Norway issued a statement declaring that Telenor had failed to uphold the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) guidelines for responsible business conduct both upon entering and exiting Myanmar.
However, the current lawsuit focuses on actions taken before Telenor left the country.
Wilde-Ramsing told DVB that the litigation is built on hard evidence provided by whistleblowers proving that Telenor actively shared data on specific individuals targeted by the military junta following the 2021 coup while still operating in Myanmar.
“The new case was about the sharing of data that they were doing while they were still there on specific individuals that the junta was interested in and was requesting,” said Wilde-Ramsing.
Precedent for corporate data control
Beyond securing compensation for Myanmar victims, advocates hope the lawsuit sets a global precedent regarding corporate accountability and user data control in authoritarian contexts.
Wilde-Ramsing told DVB about a specific instance where a user, recognizing the danger the 2021 coup presented, explicitly asked Telenor to delete his data. The company refused.
“This case just shows how dangerous everyday or run-of-the-mill data, which can be very sensitive in certain contexts… can very easily be weaponized when it gets into the hands of bad actors,” said Wilde-Ramsing.
“Why is the company allowed to say, ‘No, we’re not going to [delete your data] because we need it for our purposes, whether that be making money or selling it to a junta?'”
A long legal road ahead
While plaintiffs are seeking a resolution, Wilde-Ramsing and JAI are preparing for a protracted legal battle that could last up to five years, anticipating that Telenor may fight the claims up to the Norwegian Supreme Court.
Despite the long road, victims remain committed to securing a public victory. Wilde-Ramsing emphasized that the plaintiffs are not interested in a quiet settlement that absolves the company without an admission of wrongdoing.
“Justice—just the principle of this case—is very important, even more important for them than the financial compensation.”
“We want to have recognition that Telenor has violated the law and this type of corporate behavior is irresponsible and unacceptable,” he concluded.
