Understanding Norwegian Electronic Communications Act
Norway’s updated Electronic Communications Act mandates explicit user consent for cookies and online tracking. Is your website prepared?
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What your business needs to know
Norway’s Electronic Communications Act introduces stricter cookie consent rules, aligning the country’s privacy regulations with GDPR and the EU’s ePrivacy Directive. Businesses that fail to comply with these updated regulations risk fines and reputational damage.
If your website collects or processes user data through cookies, you must obtain clear and explicit user consent before tracking begins.
What are the requirements under E-com?
E-com places several key demands on businesses. These include:
- Explicit User Consent Required: Users must actively accept cookies before they are placed.
- Equally Accessible “Reject” Option: Cookie banners must provide a clearly visible and easy-to-use “Reject” button alongside the “Accept” button.
- Clear and Transparent Information on Cookies Websites must provide a detailed explanation of what cookies do, why they are used, and who has access to the collected data.
- Easy Consent Withdrawal:Users must be able to change or withdraw their cookie preferences at any time.
- Consent Logs: Businesses must record and securely store consent data to demonstrate compliance in case of audits or legal inquiries.
Who does E-com apply to?
The Norwegian cookie law applies to any business or website that processes data from Norwegian users, regardless of where the business is physically located.
This means both Norwegian and international businesses must comply if they:
- Operate an e-commerce store targeting Norwegian customers.
- Run a news or media website that collects user data.
- Use tracking technologies
- Engage in digital marketing using cookie-based advertising.
If your website uses cookies for analytics, personalization, or marketing, you must follow the new consent rules.
How to Comply
To ensure compliance with the new Norwegian cookie law, businesses should take these steps:
Implement a Compliant Banner
Must include explicit accept and reject buttons and should only activate cookies after consent is granted.
Consent Withdrawal
Users must be able to change or revoke their consent at any time.
Preferences Management
Add a visible “Manage Preferences” link on your website.
Keep Consent Logs
Store consent records to prove compliance in case of an audit. Use a Consent Management Platform (CMP) like CookieHub to automate consent storage.
Penalties for
non-compliance
Failure to comply with the new cookie law could result in penalties from Norwegian authorities. Businesses found in violation may face:
- Fines of up to 4% of global annual revenue or €20 million
- Loss of user trust and reputational damage.
How CookieHub can help
For businesses, managing cookie consent is one of the most important aspects of CPA compliance—fortunately, that’s where CookieHub can help. Our easy-to-use consent management solution simplifies the whole process by automating the obtaining, managing, and storing user consent.
With free options for sites with up to 5,000 sessions per month and paid plans starting at just €8 a month, CookieHub is the affordable way to stay compliant.
To find out more about CookieHub and how our consent management platform can keep your website compliant, contact us here.
Are you compliant?
Our completely free tool will generate a detailed list of all cookies currently in use, along with valuable information about their purpose.