The M1 Group, a holding company owned by Lebanon’s prime minister and his brother, has come under fire from human rights activists for buying the Norwegian telecom firm Telenor’s Myanmar operation.
The military regime had reportedly tried to force Telenor to provide user data including addresses and call history, and to implement intercept software that would allow authorities to monitor and spy on its users.
Burma Campaign UK Director Mark Farmaner warned that handing over user privacy could result in further crackdowns on dissidents and journalists struggling against the military coup.
“The military are trying to identify anybody who is resisting their rule, to find out who they are, who their contacts are. We’ve seen more than 7,000 arrests since the coup in February,” he told L’Orient Today. “If data is handed over, we’ll see more arrests and more killings.”