Privacy
In Belgium, your privacy and family life are respected. Only in certain cases, for example when someone is in an emergency situation, someone can interfere in your private life.
Professional secrecy
You can tell a secret to your doctor or your social worker. They cannot tell this secret to anyone else. Only if someone is in an emergency situation, they can break their professional secrecy.
Photographs and videos
Photographs and videos of you or other people are subject to image rights. This means that for every image of a person, you must obtain permission from the person(s) you want to photograph or film. Other people must always ask your permission before they can photograph or film you.
To do this, you must also give or ask permission from the person in the photograph or video.
Your personal data
Other people can only collect, use and transfer your personal data if you give permission to do so. In some cases, an institution does not need to ask for your permission. For example, if a government body cannot perform its task without this information or if the law provides for it.
Some examples:
- the information you give to the IO and the CGRS
- the bodyscan at the airport (for security)
- sharing your blood group for an operation (for your health)
Your rights
If you have consented to the collection, use or transfer of your data, you can revoke your consent at any time. At that moment your data will be deleted.
You can ask any organisation what information they hold about you. You can also ask what they do with your data. Every organisation is legally obliged to inform you of this.
Your house and correspondence
Your own house and your correspondence (mail, letters) are private. The government can only interfere:
- if public safety or economic well-being is in danger
- to prevent criminal offences
- to protect the health, morals, rights and freedoms of others.