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the prepaid numbers I've bought are still linked to some of your personal data- it seems you can buy the card but not register it for use without personal information. You can then also have your number unlisted so people cannot find you with the number or vice versa- I just checked and that is indeed still the case with mine.

However, I would wonder why you feel your data is less secure in Norway/Iceland vs the US. I would personally rather the government have my data than the untold number of companies involved in the US health insurance business, for example. Or all the different credit bureaus that hold sensitive financial information. And I do think that personal data security is stricter in Europe than it is in the US when it comes to legislation and regulations on how the data can be used. So I think it is more nuanced than "all your data" is being shared with "everybody" here.

I really do not have  an issue with government holding that data on me. what is bothering me the most is that: anyone can look you up( here anyone is private citizens who get the requested permission from the population register. When they look you up they have info on you such as your marital status, citizenships, previous addresses etc) some of it I would like to keep private from citizens( not from the government though).

Besides the population register, I have heard people see your tax data. I again have nothing to hide but this thing is sort of bothering me.

I may be wrong when it comes to the above but I am happy to hear your take on this and any advice how to navigate this.

thank you

where have you heard that anyone can look you up and find that level of detail? At least my experience is that in Iceland you can find someone's ID and registered address (if you have a bank account), and if you are in Norway you can read the tax list that shows tax and birth year (again if you're registered here with legal domicile). I don't know of any way to find previous addresses, citizenships, or marital status. I even had an experience this week where I took my car for service and they couldn't find my full name or address online and had to pull the vehicle registration out of my car to complete their paperwork. And TBH, the marital status and address info seems to be MORE visible in the US if I search for my own information. At least in Norway you can always see who looked you up in the tax register.

If you're legally domiciled in the country such that you have access to the healthcare, I'm not aware of any way you can remove your personal information from these lists in either place, so I suppose you could just stay up to the max allowed for non-residents each year and not become a legal resident. That comes with other challenges though, as you would not have access to all the services available to residents.