World

What telecoms leave behind when they exit a country

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Based on a feed excerpt; full article content has not been acquired. Source evidence retrieved 22/10/2026, 12:30:24 UTC.

Briefings

Telenor's 2022 exit from Myanmar triggered a four-year period of intensified scrutiny, including criminal investigations and class-action lawsuits, raising concerns about data protection and human rights. The company faced pressure to hand over sensitive user data and surveillance equipment, yet it maintained that alternatives would endanger employees. This case highlights a broader trend where multinational telecoms are systematically withdrawing from high-risk markets, leaving customers without robust governance safeguards and raising critical questions about the consequences of such exits.

Key points

• Telenor sold its Myanmar subsidiary to M1 Group in March 2022, ending nearly eight years of operations but triggering four years of intensified scrutiny, lawsuits, and criminal investigations by Norwegian authorities.
• The company argued that any alternative would have endangered employees' lives, yet it failed to implement rigorous buyer scrutiny or assessments of risks associated with transferring sensitive user data and surveillance systems.

Context

This briefing examines Telenor's 2022 exit from Myanmar, which sparked a four-year period of intensified scrutiny, lawsuits, and criminal investigations. The case highlights broader trends where multinational telecoms are systematically withdrawing from high-risk markets, raising critical questions about the consequences of such exits for customers and human rights.

Limitations

Evidence covers Telenor's 2022 Myanmar exit and subsequent global withdrawals from Asian and Middle Eastern markets. Specifics on data loss rates or customer impact are not quantified; exact dates of investigations and lawsuit outcomes remain unconfirmed.

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