In Myanmar, activists have released a large amount of data that links the country’s military dictatorship to a company that plans to purchase a majority stake in Telenor Myanmar, a subsidiary of Telenor that controls the personal data of 18 million Myanmar residents who subscribe. Telenor is based in Norway and is owned by the Norwegian government. The company has faced backlash after announcing its decision to sell its telecom business in Myanmar to a notorious Lebanese company named M1 Group. News outlets in Myanmar have reported that M1 plans to sell 80% of Telenor to a company that possesses deep and longstanding ties to the country’s repressive and brutal military.
Telenor has defended the sale, stating that it is only selling the business to M1, not the current administration in charge of Myanmar. The military took control of the country in a violent coup that occurred last year in which the country’s elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested and her administration disbanded. The military has killed and arrested thousands since last February, sparking a country-wide revolt. Activists are concerned that once Telenor is controlled by a government-backed company, the military will gain access to troves of data regarding the country’s citizens and obtain the capability to install surveillance tools on Myanmar residents’ devices.
Read More: Outrage over Telenor Myanmar sale grows as more ties between military and new owner revealed