Norway

13,500 engineers gathered in Amsterdam this week for the largest open source event in history. The dominant theme wasn’t AI hype or cloud vendor wars. It was sovereignty.

GPS jamming 294 days a year. A Norwegian dam hacked by pro-Russian actors. 40 sabotage operations across Europe. The hybrid war isn’t coming - it’s happening now. And our digital infrastructure is dangerously exposed.

Norwegian trust in NATO collapsed from 80% to 47% in three months. If we can’t rely on American security guarantees, can we rely on American digital infrastructure?

The geopatriation trend - moving from US hyperscalers to local cloud providers for sovereignty, security, and control.

Minister Karianne Tung urges Norwegian organizations to prepare contingency plans for US cloud providers

In 2026, Norway mobilizes for a new security reality. Totalforsvarsåret (Total Defence Year) is a national effort coordinated by DSB and the Armed Forces to strengthen Norway’s collective resilience against crisis and war.

Presented by the Prime Minister on 10 January 2025, this document follows up the Totalberedskapskommisjonen recommendations with measures including expanding Sivilforsvaret to 12,000 personnel, lifting the 1998 shelter construction ban, mandatory preparedness councils, 50% food self-sufficiency by 2030, and new cyber preparedness schemes through public-private cooperation.

A community-driven framework for measuring and improving digital sovereignty readiness in Norwegian organizations

Commissioned by Norske Kvinners Sanitetsforening, this FFI report maps the capabilities of Norway’s major voluntary emergency organisations and recommends their formal inclusion in coordination arenas at central, regional, and local levels. The research anticipates increased voluntary participation during security crises and identifies the need for legal frameworks governing their role within international humanitarian law.

The Norwegian Personal Data Act (Personopplysningsloven) implements GDPR in Norway through the EEA Agreement mechanism. While GDPR forms the core of Norwegian data protection law, the Act includes supplementary national rules where GDPR permits flexibility: age of consent for children’s data (13 years), national identification numbers, processing for archiving and research purposes, and employment-related processing. Datatilsynet serves as Norway’s independent supervisory authority with powers to investigate, issue orders, and impose administrative fines. The Act interacts with other Norwegian legislation including Sikkerhetsloven (national security) and Ekomloven (electronic communications), creating a comprehensive framework for data protection in Norway.

The Norwegian Electronic Communications Act regulates the telecommunications sector including fixed and mobile networks, internet access, and broadcasting transmission. Providers must obtain authorization, meet quality of service requirements, and comply with net neutrality rules. The law includes provisions enabling lawful interception by law enforcement and intelligence services under court orders. Communications providers must maintain technical capabilities to intercept communications when legally required. The Act also addresses emergency communications, critical infrastructure protection, and consumer rights. Nkom (Norwegian Communications Authority) supervises compliance, while interception activities are overseen by the courts and control committees. The law complements Sikkerhetsloven for national security matters.