Your employer cannot freely use cameras or GPS just because the equipment belongs to the business. Monitoring must have a legitimate reason, be proportionate and follow privacy rules. You must be informed before it starts.
What rules apply to cameras and GPS at work?
The rules were checked on 3 October 2026 against Arbeidstilsynet’s guidance on monitoring and Datatilsynet. Two sets of rules may apply at the same time. Chapter 9 of the Working Environment Act limits monitoring of employees. Data protection rules, including the GDPR, govern how information about you may be collected and used.
A business may therefore have an understandable reason to monitor, but still handle the information incorrectly. A camera to prevent theft does not automatically give the employer the right to watch everything an employee does.
You have privacy rights at work too. The rules are relevant whether you work in a shop, hotel, transport or at customers’ premises. For more about general rights to your data, see the guide to Datatilsynet, access and deletion. This article focuses on cameras and GPS in employment.
What must your employer do before monitoring starts?
The employer must assess whether there is an objective reason related to the business. The measure must not burden you more than is proportionate to the need. The assessment must include whether the same goal can be achieved with a less intrusive solution.
The employer must also discuss the need, design and implementation with employee representatives as early as possible. Employees must have a real opportunity to influence the arrangement.
Before monitoring starts, affected employees must be told:
- why the monitoring is being introduced
- how it will be carried out and its practical consequences
- how long it is expected to last.
New employees must also be told about monitoring that is already in place. The measures must be reviewed regularly with employee representatives. Monitoring that is no longer necessary must end.
Discussion does not mean everyone has to agree. The employer does not need an agreement with every employee for each monitoring measure. However, failing to consult is a breach of the duty to discuss. It does not by itself decide whether the monitoring itself is unlawful.
When may an employer use cameras?
Camera surveillance requires a specific assessment of its purpose, necessity and impact on privacy. Datatilsynet describes the conditions before camera surveillance. It identifies preventing and detecting criminal acts and protecting life and health as central purposes.
“We want better security” is not automatically enough. In a workplace that is usually safe, security will normally not justify cameras unless specific circumstances show a real risk.
The employer cannot use cameras to monitor toilets, changing rooms or break rooms. Other places, such as a checkout or warehouse, are not automatically allowed either. The need and privacy impact must be assessed specifically.
The camera’s direction also matters. As a practical question, you can ask the employer why the camera must cover your workplace and whether it could cover a smaller area. This is a suggested question, not a separate legal application.
Does consent make camera surveillance lawful?
An employee’s consent is normally not an appropriate basis for camera surveillance. The employer and employee are not equal parties. You may feel you have to say yes to keep your job or avoid problems.
A signature therefore does not resolve whether the surveillance is lawful. If the employer relies on legitimate interests, surveillance must be necessary, and those interests must outweigh the impact on privacy.
Can GPS be used to monitor you?
GPS in a work vehicle and an electronic driving log can record both the vehicle and its driver. Location and driving patterns may be personal data when they can be linked to you.
GPS is not always prohibited. There may be lawful needs, such as managing a fleet or meeting a legal obligation. The employer must still assess necessity, privacy and what information is actually needed.
Information must be used for specific, clearly stated purposes. It cannot later be used for a different purpose that is incompatible with the original one.
Datatilsynet gives an example involving buses: GPS introduced to give passengers real-time information about a bus’s location cannot later be used to monitor an individual employee’s performance. The example shows why the original purpose matters. It does not mean that every check of working hours is always prohibited.
Ask for a specific explanation if a manager starts using the driving log in a new way. What was the purpose when GPS was introduced? How is the information used now? You do not have to decide the entire legal issue before asking these questions.
What should you ask your employer?
You can use this list in a conversation or email:
| Question | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| What is the specific purpose? | You can compare the purpose with actual use. |
| What information about me is recorded? | You can see whether it is images, location or other information. |
| Who can see the information? | Access must be linked to a work-related need. |
| How long is it stored? | You can learn the retention rules for this specific measure. |
| When is monitoring active? | You can clarify whether it also operates during breaks or outside working hours. |
| What less intrusive options have been considered? | You can understand how necessity was assessed. |
There is no single retention period that suits every camera or GPS system. Ask why the business chose its approach. Also ask how several measures work together. Cameras, GPS and access control may together be more intrusive than each measure on its own.
A simple message could be: “I would like information about the purpose of the GPS system, what information about me it records, who can access it, and how the information is used and deleted.” Adapt the wording if the issue concerns a camera.
Who can help if you do not get a clear answer?
You can raise the questions with your employer and an employee representative. A safety representative (verneombud) may be relevant if monitoring affects the working environment. Ask for help if the information is difficult to understand in Norwegian.
The authorities have different roles:
- Arbeidstilsynet (the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority) follows up the rules for introducing monitoring measures under the Working Environment Act, including consultation and information.
- Datatilsynet (the Norwegian Data Protection Authority) follows up the processing of personal data, including how images and GPS data are used.
If you have tried to raise the issue internally and your employer is not meeting its duties, you can contact the relevant authority. Note what you observed, when it happened, what information you received and what you asked. Keep messages you received yourself. You do not need to collect colleagues’ private information to explain your case.
SamfunnPrep’s tools include a checklist and practical guides for life in Norway. Use the authorities’ guidance when you assess monitoring at work.
