Norwegian police launch criminal probes into Telenor over Myanmar data handling

Two Norwegian law-enforcement bodies, the Police Security Service (PST) and the criminal investigation unit Kripos, have initiated separate criminal cases against Telenor. Kripos alleges the firm participated in crimes against humanity by handing over historic traffic data to Myanmar’s military regime after the February 2021 coup, while PST accuses Telenor of breaching sanctions law by selling sanctioned surveillance equipment without foreign-ministerial approval.

The Dutch NGO SOMO, representing former Telenor Myanmar customers, has filed a civil group claim seeking damages for the alleged data misuse. Telenor’s information chief, David Fidjeland, said the company was notified of the investigations, denied that any persons are charged, and affirmed its intent to cooperate fully with the police. The case follows years of criticism of Telenor’s handling of its Myanmar subsidiary and calls from Norwegian politicians and human-rights groups for accountability.