The rules are largely governed by the EU’s privacy regulations (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive, aiming to strengthen user control and transparency regarding how personal data is collected and used. In short, this means that:

• Passive consent is no longer valid
• Websites must obtain clear and explicit consent from users before storing and analyzing data through cookies – particularly for marketing and analytics purposes
• The consent must be:
  – Given freely
  – Specific
  – Informed
  – Unambiguous
• Users must be given the opportunity to choose or refuse individual purposes for the use of cookies, instead of providing a single, general consent
• Users must receive clear and easy-to-understand information about the types of cookies used, their purposes, and how long the data is stored
• It must be just as easy to decline the use of non-essential cookies as it is to accept them, without having to search through complicated menus or forms
• Strictly necessary cookies (e.g., those enabling login or shopping cart functionality) can be used without consent, while all other cookies, such as those tracking behavior across websites, require active, approved consent from the user

These changes have been introduced to give consumers greater privacy control and to ensure that websites are more transparent about how user data is processed.

The new rules apply to all websites under a .no domain, websites or apps in Norwegian, and websites or apps targeting a Norwegian audience.

In addition to updating cookie settings on your homepage, you must also update privacy policies, as well as document and store the consents.

Contact us, and we will help you update your website in accordance with the new rules.