Am I allowed to publish photos of other people in Norway?
As a main rule no — you cannot publish a photo in which a person is the main subject without consent. It follows from section 104 of the Copyright Act, the right to your own image, and consent is required while the person is alive and for 15 years after the year of death. Photos of children can only be published with the consent of whoever holds parental responsibility. Here is the test people overlook: the question is whether the person is the main subject, not whether the photo is flattering or harmless. There are exceptions for images of current and general interest (news value), crowds and events, or where the person is less important than the main content. Public figures in their role must tolerate more. Unlawful publication can bring damages and a demand for deletion.
📋 The rules
- Consent required if the person is the main subject
- Follows Copyright Act §104 (right to one's own image)
- Consent while the person lives and 15 years after death
- Photos of children: consent from the parental guardian
- Exceptions for news photos and crowds
🔓 Exceptions
- Photos of crowds and events where no one is the main subject
- Public figures in their public role, such as a politician at a podium
- Photos with current and general interest (news value)
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Unlawful publication can bring damages and compensation, a demand to take the image down, and in serious cases criminal liability. The Data Protection Authority can also step in under the privacy rules, so you can face two tracks at once: a private claim from the person pictured and supervision from the authorities. What people do not think about is that the deletion demand applies wherever the image sits, and that an image which has been shared onwards is rarely possible to pull back. Photos of children are the most expensive mistake: here consent is needed from whoever holds parental responsibility, not from the child.
📎 Official sources
- Copyright Act §104 · Lovdata →
- Data Protection Authority · Photos and privacy →
- NDLA · Copyright and privacy →
❓ Frequently asked
Can I publish photos of other people?
As a main rule not without consent if the person is the main subject of the photo, under section 104 of the Copyright Act. Consent is required while the person is alive and for 15 years after the year of death.
Can I share photos of children?
Only with the consent of whoever holds parental responsibility, not from the child. Photos of children call for extra caution, and this is where the most expensive mistakes are made.
When can I publish without consent?
For news images of current and general interest, crowds and events, or where the person is less important than the main content. The test is whether someone is the main subject of the photo.
Can I publish photos of public figures?
Public figures in their public role must tolerate more, such as a politician at the podium, where the image has news value. Their private life is protected in the same way as anyone else's.
What can happen if I publish unlawfully?
You may have to pay damages and compensation and take the image down, and in serious cases face criminal liability. The Data Protection Authority can also step in under the privacy rules.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “can I publish photos of others norway”
- “right to own image 104”
- “share photos of children”
- “publish without consent”
- “news photo crowd”
- “photos privacy norway”