Norway’s state communications authorities have launched an investigation into mobile telephone operator Telia. The probe comes after state broadcaster NRK revealed how Telia customers have been exposed to a serious breach of privacy since 2023.
The error, uncovered by a security researcher at the Norwegian company Mnemonic, made it possible to track mobile phone customers and determine their physical locations. Telia customers affected by the flaw included the leader of the Norwegian Parliament’s committee on defense and foreign affairs, MP Peter Frølich, who’s also been actively involved in transporting vehicles and other aid to Ukraine.
Frølich is among those disturbed over how incoming calls to his Telia phone could show users where he physically was, and track his movements without him knowing it, even if he didn’t accept the call. “I think that’s very uncomfortable,” Frølich told NRK. Telia has around 2 million customers in Norway, but the company didn’t want to reveal how many of them were directly affected by the error.
It’s since been fixed, GPS tracking is no longer a problem for unwitting Telia user and the company issued a public apology. State regulators at Datatilsynet and Nkom quickly launched a probe and government officials describe the error as serious. “We will find out what happened, how it could happen and work to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” said Nkom’s director John-Eivind Velure. The government minister in charge of digitalization and governance Karianne Tung added that “Norwegian residents must be assured that their personal information and whereabouts are handled properly.”
NewsinEnglish.no staff
