Belgium Data Privacy Laws: GDPR Implementation Guide (2026)

Belgium governs data privacy through three instruments: the EU GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679), the Law of 30 July 2018, and Article 22 of the Belgian Constitution. The Belgian Data Protection Authority (APD/GBA) enforces compliance and can impose fines up to 20 million euros or 4% of global annual turnover.

Quick Answer: What Are Belgium's Key Data Privacy Rules?

Belgium's data privacy regime rests on three pillars: the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, Regulation (EU) 2016/679), which applies directly in all EU member states; the Law of 30 July 2018, Belgium's national implementation act that fills in GDPR's member-state discretions; and Article 22 of the Belgian Constitution, the domestic constitutional right to privacy inserted in 1994. The Belgian Data Protection Authority (APD/GBA), established under the Law of 3 December 2017, enforces compliance. Any organization processing personal data about individuals in Belgium is subject to this framework, whether headquartered in Belgium or abroad. For a broader EU-level view of how GDPR operates across all member states, see our EU data privacy laws overview.

Jurisdiction scope: This article addresses the data protection regime of the Kingdom of Belgium, including EU GDPR as applied in Belgium, the Law of 30 July 2018, APD/GBA enforcement, and the EU AI Act as it applies to Belgian-designated authorities. It does not address Belgian recording consent laws; for those, see Belgium recording laws.

Constitutional Basis: Article 22 and the Right to Private Life

Belgium's right to privacy has domestic constitutional roots that predate the GDPR by decades. Article 22 of the Belgian Constitution guarantees every person the right to respect for private and family life. The Belgian parliament inserted this provision in 1994, giving privacy the status of a fundamental constitutional right enforceable independently of EU law.

Before the GDPR took effect in 2018, Belgium already had Article 22 of the Constitution, a dedicated data protection commission (the predecessor Commission for the Protection of Privacy), and the Law of 8 December 1992 on privacy protection. The arrival of the GDPR layered EU regulatory requirements on top of an already mature constitutional tradition.

Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights also has direct effect in Belgium. Belgian courts apply Article 8 ECHR as a floor for privacy protection in cases not directly covered by the GDPR or national legislation.

The practical significance of Article 22 is that it allows Belgian courts to grant privacy protections in contexts the GDPR leaves to national law, and it gives constitutional authority to the legislature when enacting national derogations under GDPR Articles 6(2), 9(4), and 23.

GDPR and the Law of 30 July 2018: The Dual Framework

The GDPR has direct effect in Belgium, meaning it applies without requiring transposition into Belgian statute. It sets the ceiling and the floor for most data protection rules.

The Law of 30 July 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data serves three primary functions. First, it implements GDPR provisions that require or permit national-level specification. Second, it transposes EU Directive 2016/680 on data processing by criminal justice authorities. Third, it establishes rules for data processing by intelligence and security services that fall outside the GDPR's scope.

The Belgian framework also includes the Law of 3 December 2017 establishing the Data Protection Authority itself, substantially amended by Acts of September 7, 2023, and December 25, 2023, which reworked the authority's governance and its complaint procedure.

Part of that reform did not hold. In judgment 119/2025 of September 18, 2025, on an action brought by the Ligue des droits humains, the Constitutional Court annulled Article 11, paragraph 1, 3 of the Law of 3 December 2017 as replaced by the Law of 25 December 2023, insofar as it allowed the APD to settle by internal rules the admissibility of a complaint or a report, the mediation procedure, dismissal and opportunity considerations, the complainant's position and rights of defence, the use of languages, and compliance with the measures it imposes. The court kept the annulled provision's effects in force until Parliament legislates on those points, and at the latest until December 31, 2026. Both the privacy law and the APD's organic law are being revised.

Together, these instruments govern any organization processing personal data of individuals in Belgium, whether the organization is based in Belgium or abroad.

Age of Digital Consent Set at 13

Article 7 of the Law of 30 July 2018 sets the age at which a child can independently consent to data processing by information society services at 13 years. The GDPR's Article 8 allows member states to set this threshold anywhere between 13 and 16, and Belgium chose the lowest permitted age. The APD justified this choice on the basis that 13 represents the average age at which children begin browsing the internet independently, and a higher threshold would unnecessarily limit digital opportunities for young people.

This lower threshold applies specifically to direct offers of information society services where processing relies on consent. For other types of data processing involving minors, the child's legal representative must provide consent, though children with sufficient capacity for discernment (often acquired between ages 13 and 16) may also need to give their own consent alongside the representative's.

Special Categories of Data: Additional Safeguards

The Law of 30 July 2018 imposes additional requirements when processing genetic, biometric, and health data. Controllers must maintain an updated list identifying every person who has access to these special categories of data, specifying the categories of data each person can access. They must also ensure all persons with access are bound by confidentiality obligations, whether statutory or contractual. These access lists must be kept available to the APD upon request. This exceeds what the GDPR itself requires and reflects Belgium's emphasis on accountability for sensitive data processing.

Criminal Convictions and Offenses Data

Belgium provides specific legal bases for processing data related to criminal convictions and offenses. The law requires organizations handling this data to maintain access management lists and enforce confidentiality obligations, mirroring the protections applied to special categories of data.

Journalistic and Academic Exemptions

Article 24 of the Law of 30 July 2018 grants exemptions for data processing carried out for journalistic, artistic, or literary purposes. Controllers operating under these exemptions can be relieved from certain data subject rights and obligations, including breach notification requirements and restrictions on international data transfers. These exemptions balance data protection with freedom of expression.

Five-Year Time Bar

Article 105 of the Law of 3 December 2017 creating the Data Protection Authority, not the Law of 30 July 2018, time-bars facts five years after they were committed. The period is interrupted only by acts of investigation or prosecution, and each such act starts a fresh five-year period, even as against persons not involved in it.

Article 106 of the same Act adds that administrative fines are themselves time-barred five years from the date they fall due, with that period suspended while an appeal against the Litigation Chamber's decision is pending.

Lawful Bases for Processing Personal Data in Belgium

GDPR Article 6(1) provides six exhaustive lawful bases. Every processing activity in Belgium must rest on one of these; Belgium's national law does not add a seventh basis.

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): The data subject has given freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent. The APD has repeatedly held that consent is not a valid basis for processing employee personal data in an employment context, because the power imbalance between employer and employee makes freely given consent structurally impossible under Article 4(11) GDPR.

Contract (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party, or to take pre-contractual steps at the data subject's request. The necessity requirement is construed strictly: processing that is merely convenient for contract performance, rather than genuinely necessary, does not qualify.

Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): Processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation imposed on the controller. Belgian legislation, including tax law, social security law, and the National Labour Council collective agreements, creates numerous such obligations for organizations operating in Belgium.

Vital interests (Art. 6(1)(d)): Processing is necessary to protect the vital interests of the data subject or another natural person. This basis applies in emergency situations where other bases cannot be relied upon quickly enough.

Public task (Art. 6(1)(e)): Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority. Belgian public authorities and their processors rely on this basis extensively.

Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): Processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or a third party, provided those interests are not overridden by the fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject. The Court of Justice of the EU has confirmed three cumulative conditions: (i) pursuit of a legitimate interest; (ii) necessity of the processing to achieve that interest; (iii) the data subject's fundamental rights must not prevail after a balancing test. The APD's guidance on direct marketing confirms that legitimate interests can support certain marketing activities, but the balancing test must be documented and clear opt-out mechanisms must be provided.

Data Subject Rights in Belgium

GDPR Articles 12 through 22 give individuals a comprehensive set of rights over their personal data. Belgian national law does not restrict these rights beyond the derogations the GDPR itself permits.

Right of access (Art. 15): Data subjects may request confirmation of whether their personal data is processed, and receive a copy. The controller must respond within one month, extendable by two months for complex or numerous requests. The APD has enforced this right actively: excessive delays in responding to access requests are a recurring violation in APD decisions.

Right to rectification (Art. 16): Data subjects may require inaccurate personal data to be corrected and incomplete data to be completed.

Right to erasure / right to be forgotten (Art. 17): Data subjects may request deletion in specified circumstances, including when data is no longer necessary for its original purpose, when consent is withdrawn and no other basis exists, or when data has been unlawfully processed. The APD's largest single fine, 600,000 euros against Google Belgium in July 2020, arose from Google's failure to honor a delisting request under this right, although the Market Court later annulled that decision.

Right to restriction of processing (Art. 18): Data subjects may request that processing be restricted in certain circumstances, such as when the accuracy of data is contested or the processing is unlawful but the data subject prefers restriction over erasure.

Right to data portability (Art. 20): Where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means, data subjects may receive their personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format, and transmit it to another controller.

Right to object (Art. 21): Data subjects may object to processing based on legitimate interests or the public task basis, including profiling on those bases. On receipt of an objection, the controller must stop processing unless it can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override the data subject's interests.

Rights related to automated decision-making and profiling (Art. 22 GDPR): Data subjects have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produces legal effects or similarly significant effects on them, with exceptions for contract necessity, legal authorization, and explicit consent.

The APD continues to enforce data subject rights actively, and the new GDPR Procedural Regulation (EU) 2025/2518 (applying from April 2, 2027) will introduce binding 15-month deadlines for cross-border investigations, strengthening the practical enforceability of these rights in multi-jurisdiction complaints.

The Belgian Data Protection Authority (APD/GBA)

The Belgian Data Protection Authority is known by two names reflecting Belgium's bilingual structure: Autorite de protection des donnees (APD) in French, and Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit (GBA) in Dutch. It succeeded the former Commission for the Protection of Privacy on May 25, 2018, the same day the GDPR became enforceable.

The authority is headquartered at Rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels. It had 96 staff at the end of 2025, up from 84 a year earlier, and an operating credit of 15.3 million euros for that year. It can be contacted at contact@apd-gba.be or +32 2 274 48 00.

Organizational Structure

The APD is organized into five operational bodies plus an Executive Committee:

Executive Committee: Oversees budgets, annual reports, strategic plans, and organizational decisions.

General Affairs Secretariat: Manages human resources, budget, IT infrastructure, legal matters, and communications.

Front Office: Receives complaints from data subjects, conducts mediation between parties, and promotes public awareness of data protection rights.

Knowledge Centre: Issues opinions and recommendations on data processing matters, providing guidance to both public and private sectors.

Inspection Service: Conducts investigations and enforcement activities, with powers to interview individuals, seize computer systems, and demand temporary suspension of processing activities.

Litigation Chamber: Functions as the administrative disputes body, issuing decisions and imposing fines. Effective April 25, 2025, a single judge may decide merits cases, replacing the previous requirement for three-member panels. This structural change may affect the total number of cases the Chamber handles each year.

Enforcement Powers

The APD holds broad enforcement powers under the GDPR. The Inspection Service can conduct on-site investigations, interview witnesses, access premises, and seize relevant evidence. The Litigation Chamber can issue warnings, reprimands, orders to comply, suspension of data processing, and administrative fines. The authority also has the power to impose periodic penalty payments to compel compliance.

One significant limitation: under Article 221, paragraph 2 of the Law of 30 July 2018, Article 83 of the GDPR does not apply to public authorities, except to legal persons governed by public law that offer products and services on a market. The Constitutional Court rejected an action to annul that provision in judgment 3/2021 of January 14, 2021, holding that the distinction rests on an objective criterion and is not without reasonable justification, in particular because it leaves untouched the supervisory authority's power to take corrective measures under Article 58(2) of the GDPR. The APD can still issue orders and reprimands against public authorities.

APD Strategic Plan 2026-2028: Systemic Impact Enforcement

The APD published a new strategic plan for 2026-2028 that marks a significant shift in enforcement philosophy. Rather than processing individual complaints reactively, the APD intends to focus on systemic-impact investigations in sectors with the greatest potential for widespread privacy harm.

The plan sets two content priorities rather than a list of sectors: large-scale data processing, in the public or the private sector, that carries a high risk to individuals' rights and freedoms, and the processing of minors' personal data. Its own illustrations of large-scale processing include health data held by hospitals and care networks, profiling in banking and insurance, reservation systems and general-practice case-management systems, tax databases, and advertising technology and other large-scale processing by data brokers.

The authority will initiate more proactive inspections rather than waiting for complaints. Complaints suited to it will be routed to mediation by the Front Office, using letters reminding controllers of the applicable rules and structured dialogue between the parties, with coercive measures prioritized where mediation fails. The Front Office also gains more discretion over whether an unresolved complaint goes to the Inspection Service or straight to the Litigation Chamber. For the specific rules on surveillance cameras, the declaration duty and the workplace, see our guide to camera surveillance in Belgium, alongside our wider coverage of Belgian law.

Due to a hiring freeze through 2029, the APD will no longer provide systematic responses to individual inquiries from organizations. It will instead produce public FAQs, checklists, and sector-specific guidance, shifting primary responsibility for legal certainty to organizations and their data protection officers.

Lawful Processing of Special Categories: Health, Biometric, and Genetic Data

The Law of 30 July 2018 imposes additional obligations on controllers processing special categories of data as defined in GDPR Article 9, specifically health data, genetic data, and biometric data used for unique identification.

Beyond the GDPR's requirements, Belgian law mandates that controllers maintain an updated access log identifying every person authorized to access special category data, specifying the categories each person may access. All persons with access must be bound by statutory or contractual confidentiality obligations. These access logs must be made available to the APD upon request.

The APD enforces these requirements in practice. In a decision of September 6, 2024 (Decision 114/2024), it fined an employer 45,000 euros for using a fingerprint-based timekeeping system without a proper legal basis for processing biometric data. In a December 2024 decision, the APD fined a hospital 200,000 euros for failing to implement adequate security measures that led to a ransomware attack exposing health data of approximately 300,000 individuals.

Data Protection Officer Requirements in Belgium

Belgium follows the GDPR's Article 37 mandatory appointment triggers, with additional national requirements under the Law of 30 July 2018.

Mandatory Appointment Under GDPR Article 37

A DPO must be appointed when:

• The data processing is carried out by a public authority or public body (excluding courts in their judicial capacity)
• The core activities require regular and systematic large-scale monitoring of data subjects
• The core activities involve large-scale processing of special categories of data or criminal convictions data

Additional Belgian Requirements

Beyond the GDPR mandates, Belgian national law requires DPO appointment in two additional scenarios:

• When a private body processes personal data on behalf of a federal public authority, and the processing is likely to result in high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals
• When processing involves archiving in the public interest, scientific or historical research, or statistical purposes that are likely to create high risk

DPO Independence and Registration

The APD has been particularly active in enforcing DPO independence requirements. The 2020 Proximus decision established that combining the DPO role with functions such as audit, risk, or compliance management creates an impermissible conflict of interest under Article 38(6) GDPR. The DPO must report directly to the highest level of management and cannot receive instructions regarding the exercise of their tasks.

Organizations required to appoint a DPO must register that DPO with the APD. Following the launch of the new APD portal on June 10, 2025, each organization may register only one DPO per data controller through the portal. DPOs must verify their registration is accurate on the new platform.

Data Breach Notification Requirements

Belgium follows the GDPR's standard breach notification framework but has implemented procedural refinements through the APD.

Notification to the Authority

Under GDPR Article 33, data controllers must notify the APD of a personal data breach without undue delay, and no later than 72 hours after becoming aware of it. The only exception is when the breach is unlikely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of the affected individuals.

New Notification Portal (June 2025)

The APD launched a new unified data breach notification portal on June 10, 2025. Organizations must create a single company account on the portal, authenticated via Belgium's Federal Authentication Service (FAS) using Belgian eID or itsme. The portal consolidates breach notifications and DPO registration in one platform. Organizations that previously used the older two-part (Part 1 / Part 2) form-based system must now operate through this portal.

The APD permits only one company account per data controller and only one DPO registration per controller. Where an organization had multiple DPO registrations under the old system, only the most recent registration carries over.

Required Information

The notification to the APD must include:

• A description of the nature of the breach, including the categories and approximate number of data subjects and data records affected
• The name and contact details of the DPO or other contact point
• A description of the likely consequences of the breach
• The measures taken or proposed to address the breach and mitigate its effects

Notification to Data Subjects

When a breach is likely to result in a high risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, the controller must also communicate the breach to affected data subjects without undue delay, in clear and plain language.

Breach Statistics

The APD received 1,216 breach notifications in 2025, down from 1,455 in 2024. In the same year its Front Office took 3,243 written information requests and 748 by telephone, though response delays have historically reached up to one year due to resource constraints under the pre-strategic-plan model.

International Data Transfers

Belgium follows the GDPR's rules for international data transfers without imposing additional national requirements beyond what the regulation specifies.

Transfers Within the EEA

Personal data can move freely between Belgium and any other EU or EEA member state (Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland) without additional safeguards, provided the general GDPR principles are respected.

Transfers to Adequate Countries

Transfers to countries that have received an adequacy decision from the European Commission under GDPR Article 45 can proceed without specific authorization. The countries and territories currently deemed adequate are Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Canada (for commercial organizations under PIPEDA), the Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Israel, the Isle of Man, Japan, Jersey, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, the European Patent Organisation, and the United States (for transfers to organizations on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework list, established by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/1795).

Two recent changes matter for Belgian exporters. Brazil's adequacy decision was adopted on January 26, 2026, so transfers to Brazil no longer need Article 46 safeguards. The two United Kingdom decisions, one under the GDPR and one under the Law Enforcement Directive, were renewed on December 19, 2025. Adequacy decisions remain subject to review and challenge, so check the European Commission's adequacy page before relying on one.

Transfers Requiring Safeguards

For transfers to countries without an adequacy decision, organizations must implement appropriate safeguards such as:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) adopted by the European Commission
• Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) approved by the relevant supervisory authority
• Codes of conduct or certification mechanisms

A Transfer Impact Assessment is required when relying on SCCs or BCRs, to ensure the recipient country's legal framework does not undermine the protections provided. Prior approval from the APD is not required when using SCCs or transferring to adequate jurisdictions.

Cookies and Electronic Privacy

Belgium's cookie rules derive from Article 10/2 of the Law of 30 July 2018, which implements the EU ePrivacy Directive (Directive 2002/58/EC). The Electronic Communications Act of 13 June 2005, the Code of Economic Law, and the Royal Decree of 4 April 2003 also contain relevant provisions. The Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) has concurrent jurisdiction over electronic communications.

Consent Requirements

Cookies and similar tracking technologies require:

• Clear and comprehensive information to the user about the purposes of data processing and their rights
• The user's informed consent before any non-essential cookies are placed
• The ability for users to withdraw consent free of charge at any time

Strictly necessary cookies, meaning those essential for transmitting a communication or providing a service explicitly requested by the user, are exempt from the consent requirement.

Enforcement Focus

Cookie banners drove two notable 2024 decisions, against RTL Belgium and Mediahuis, and the APD publishes a cookie checklist setting out what a compliant banner looks like. Neither decision survived, and cookies are not among the two content priorities in the APD's 2026-2028 Strategic Plan.

The APD has also been dismissing NOYB cookie complaints. On July 14, 2026 it announced that the European Data Protection Board had directed it to examine on the merits a NOYB complaint about the cookies placed on the Flemish public broadcaster VRT website, which the APD had planned to dismiss on the basis of Belgian case law and what it considered an abuse of the right to lodge a complaint.

Direct Marketing Rules

The APD published an 80-page recommendation on direct marketing in February 2020. In March 2025, it published draft Recommendation 01/2025 to update the guidance to align with new case law, Litigation Chamber decisions, and EDPB guidelines, and ran a public consultation on it from March 10 to May 10, 2025. The APD has since finalized that recommendation (its cover page carries the number 01/2026), which replaces Recommendation 01/2020 as its current direct marketing guidance and adds a new definition of direct marketing, detail on retention periods, and a section on consent-or-pay.

Direct marketing communications via email, SMS, or automated calling systems generally require prior opt-in consent under the ePrivacy Directive. Belgium's implementation follows the standard EU approach: business-to-consumer electronic marketing requires consent, with a limited exception for existing customer relationships where the marketing relates to similar products or services.

The GDPR's legitimate interest basis can support certain direct marketing activities, but the APD's guidance emphasizes that organizations must conduct a documented balancing test and provide clear opt-out mechanisms. In Decision 72/2025, the APD found that a B2B data broker's legitimate interest claim for processing an individual's email address was not justified and fined it 8,000 euros for that specific violation. On appeal the Market Court confirmed that no valid legal basis existed but reduced that fine to 6,000 euros, by judgment 2025/AR/892 of December 17, 2025.

Employment Data Protection

Belgium takes an unusual approach to workplace data protection by incorporating protections through collective labor agreements (conventions collectives de travail, CCTs) negotiated within the National Labour Council. These agreements have the force of law once adopted through royal decree.

Key collective agreements governing workplace data protection include:

• CCT No. 38: Governs data protection during worker recruitment and selection processes
• CCT No. 68: Regulates CCTV surveillance in the workplace
• CCT No. 81: Addresses electronic communications monitoring by employers, including email and internet usage
• CCT No. 100: Covers data processing related to alcohol and drug prevention policies

The APD's consistent position is that employers cannot rely on employee consent as a lawful basis for processing, given the power imbalance inherent in the employment relationship. Employers typically rely on legal obligation (CCT obligations, social security, tax law) or legitimate interests, with a careful balancing test documented in the processing record.

GDPR Enforcement in Belgium: Notable Fines and Cases

Belgium's enforcement record demonstrates that the APD takes violations seriously across sectors, even if aggregate fine amounts remain moderate compared to larger EU member states such as France or Ireland.

Google Belgium: 600,000 Euros (2020), Annulled on Appeal

The APD imposed its largest single fine on Google Belgium SA in July 2020 for failing to honor a Belgian citizen's right to be forgotten under GDPR Article 17. A public figure requested that Google delist outdated articles about an unfounded harassment complaint. The Litigation Chamber found Google negligent and criticized the lack of transparency in Google's delisting request form for failing to clearly identify the data controller. In addition to the 600,000 euro fine, the APD ordered Google to remove the relevant links from search results across the European Economic Area and revise its delisting request form.

The fine did not survive. On June 30, 2021 the Market Court annulled Decision 37/2020 by judgment 2020/AR/1111, holding that the APD had insufficiently justified sanctioning the Belgian subsidiary, which had no part in deciding the purposes and means of the processing. The case went back to the APD.

Proximus: DPO Conflict of Interest, 50,000 Euros (2020)

The APD fined telecommunications provider Proximus 50,000 euros for violating Article 38(6) of the GDPR. Proximus had appointed a Data Protection Officer who simultaneously served as director of audit, risk, and compliance. The APD found this dual role created an impermissible conflict of interest. This decision became widely cited across the EU as a reference point for DPO independence requirements.

Proximus: Public Directory Violations, 20,000 Euros (2020), Fine Replaced by a Reprimand

In a separate case, the APD fined Proximus 20,000 euros for publishing a citizen's personal data in public telephone directories after the individual had withdrawn consent, violating Articles 6, 7, 24, and 5(2) of the GDPR on lawfulness and accountability, and Articles 12 and 13 on transparency. Exercising its full jurisdiction, the Market Court replaced that administrative fine with a reprimand by judgment 2020/AR/1160 of September 6, 2023.

IAB Europe: Transparency and Consent Framework (2022 to 2026)

This multi-year case illustrates the complexity of data-broker ecosystem enforcement. In February 2022, the APD fined IAB Europe 250,000 euros and ordered it to bring its Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) into compliance with the GDPR.

On May 14, 2025, the Belgian Market Court (sitting as part of the Court of Appeal of Brussels) endorsed the APD's reasoning, confirmed the infringements the Litigation Chamber had found, and confirmed the 250,000 euro fine. Decision 21/2022 was formally annulled only for procedural reasons, which sends the implementation plan back to the Litigation Chamber.

The court followed the Court of Justice of the EU in Case C-604/22 of March 7, 2024, which held that a TC String is personal data and that IAB Europe can be a joint controller for the processing of users' advertising preferences. The one point the court decided against the APD was joint controllership for processing that takes place entirely within the OpenRTB protocol.

On January 9, 2026, the Market Court issued a further ruling annulling the APD's January 2023 approval of IAB Europe's action plan.

Data Broker: 174,640 Euros (Decision 07/2024)

In Decision 07/2024, the APD fined a data broker 174,640 euros for failing to disclose specific information about data sources and recipients. This case reflects the APD's increasing focus on the data brokerage industry under its strategic transparency enforcement priorities.

Biometric Data: Employer Fined 45,000 Euros (Decision 114/2024)

In Decision 114/2024, the APD imposed a 45,000 euro fine on an employer for using a fingerprint-based timekeeping system without a proper legal basis for processing biometric data under Article 9 GDPR.

RTL Belgium and Mediahuis: Cookie Banners (2024 to 2025)

In twin decisions on complaints filed by NOYB, the APD's Litigation Chamber found the cookie banners on RTL Belgium and on the Mediahuis news sites non-compliant, because they gave no way to refuse non-essential cookies on the first layer of the banner and used button colouring that nudged users toward acceptance, which the Chamber treated as deceptive design patterns. It ordered both controllers to bring their banners into conformity and attached a periodic penalty payment (astreinte) to each order. An astreinte is fully conditional: it becomes payable only if the controller fails to comply. No administrative fine was imposed in either case.

Neither decision produced a standing sanction. The Market Court annulled the Mediahuis decision (113/2024) by judgment 2024/AR/1690 of March 19, 2025. The Litigation Chamber withdrew the RTL decision (131/2024) on March 24, 2025 and, in Decision 138/2025 of September 1, 2025, dismissed the complaint on opportunity grounds after NOYB withdrew it in light of the changes RTL had made to its banner. The banner requirements the two decisions spelled out remain what the APD expects, but the cases ended without a penalty.

Hospital: 200,000 Euros (December 2024)

In a decision issued December 17, 2024, the APD fined an unnamed Belgian hospital 200,000 euros for failing to implement adequate cybersecurity measures after a 2021 ransomware attack exposed health data of approximately 300,000 individuals. The hospital had experienced a prior ransomware attack in 2019. The APD found it lacked a coherent information security policy, failed to conduct a DPIA, and had not implemented staff training, system log monitoring, or cybersecurity audits. The APD initially proposed a 3,000,000 euro fine, reduced to 200,000 to reflect the hospital's turnover. This case is particularly significant for healthcare controllers in Belgium.

Data Broker: Decision 72/2025 (April 22, 2025)

In Decision 72/2025, the APD fined a B2B data broker 20,000 euros for unlawfully processing a data subject's email address and multiple related violations: 8,000 euros for unlawful processing (Articles 5(1)(a), 5(2), 6(1)); 6,000 euros for failing transparency duties (Articles 5(2), 12(1), 14(1), 14(2), 24(1), 25(1)); and 6,000 euros for failing to respond to an access request (Article 15(1)). The APD held the controller's legitimate interest claim could not justify the processing.

That total no longer stands. By judgment 2025/AR/892 of December 17, 2025 the Market Court partially annulled the decision, setting aside the transparency finding and the 6,000 euro fine attached to it, and reduced the two remaining fines to 6,000 euros and 4,000 euros. The APD's 2025 annual report records the outcome as a confirmation that no valid legal basis existed, with the total reduced to 10,000 euros.

Fining Methodology Reform

Belgium's fine levels have historically been modest compared to EU peers. A Belgian Market Court judgment of June 14, 2023 reduced a 10,000 euro APD fine to a symbolic 1 euro because the APD had insufficiently justified the fine's proportionality. This decision prompted the APD to move toward publicly adopting a five-step fining methodology consistent with EDPB Guidelines 04/2022, which uses higher starting percentages than the APD has historically applied. If formally adopted, future Belgian GDPR fines are likely to be substantially higher.

Penalties and Sanctions

Belgium's penalty framework operates on two tracks: administrative fines under the GDPR and criminal sanctions under national law.

Administrative Fines

The GDPR establishes two tiers of administrative fines:

Lower tier (Article 83(4)): Up to 10 million euros or 2% of total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher. This applies to violations of controller and processor obligations, certification body obligations, and monitoring body obligations.

Upper tier (Article 83(5-6)): Up to 20 million euros or 4% of total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher. This applies to violations of data processing principles, lawfulness of processing, conditions for consent, data subject rights, and international data transfer rules.

The APD follows a five-step fining methodology: (1) identify the infringements; (2) set the starting point for calculation; (3) apply mitigating or aggravating circumstances; (4) check against maximum caps; (5) assess effectiveness, deterrence, and proportionality. The APD has signaled it will align this methodology with EDPB Guidelines 04/2022, which could substantially increase future fine amounts.

Public Sector Exemption

Public authorities and public bodies in Belgium are generally exempt from administrative fines under the GDPR, except when they offer goods or services on the open market in competition with private entities. The Constitutional Court rejected an action to annul Article 221, paragraph 2 of the Law of 30 July 2018 in judgment 3/2021 of January 14, 2021, holding that the distinction rests on an objective criterion and is not without reasonable justification. The APD can still issue warnings, reprimands, and compliance orders against public sector entities.

Criminal Sanctions

The Law of 30 July 2018 introduces criminal penalties for particularly egregious violations. Title 6, Chapter II sets the fines by offence: 250 to 15,000 euros under Article 222 (processing without a legal basis, ignoring corrective measures, obstructing the supervisory authority, certification abuses), 500 to 30,000 euros under Article 223, 200 to 10,000 euros under Article 224 (breach of confidentiality by members or staff of the supervisory authority), 100 to 10,000 euros under Article 226, and 100 to 20,000 euros under Article 227.

Those are nominal amounts. Belgian criminal fines are increased by the surcharge on criminal fines (decimes additionnels) in force at sentencing, so the sum actually imposed is a multiple of the figure in the Act. The highest ceiling in the scheme is the one in Article 223. Under Article 225 the court may also order publication of the judgment as an additional sanction. Criminal proceedings are handled by the ordinary criminal justice system, not the APD.

EU AI Act Overlay: BIPT and APD Roles

The EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) applies in Belgium as it does across all EU member states. Belgium has taken steps to designate its national oversight architecture, though the process was not complete by the August 2, 2025 deadline.

BIPT as the Intended Market Surveillance Authority

The 2025-2029 Federal Government Agreement of January 31, 2025 announced that the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT/IBPT) is to become Belgium's primary market surveillance authority under the EU AI Act. That designation has not yet been formally made. The FOD Economy (Federal Public Service Economy) coordinates overall EU AI Act implementation. The European Commission's published list of single points of contact for AI Act market surveillance, last updated September 7, 2026, still shows no entry for Belgium, so the formal designation under Article 70 of the AI Act remains outstanding past the August 2, 2025 deadline.

BIPT's role covers market surveillance to ensure AI systems placed on the Belgian market comply with the EU AI Act's requirements. This includes oversight of high-risk AI systems in sectors outside BIPT's traditional telecommunications domain, and it is expected to be the central AI enforcement body once Belgium completes the designation.

APD Role for AI Systems Processing Personal Data

The APD retains its data protection supervisory function for AI systems that process personal data or engage in automated profiling. Under Article 77 of the EU AI Act, Belgium designated 21 specific bodies to supervise high-risk AI systems where fundamental rights are at stake; the APD is the relevant body where those systems process personal data. This dual-authority structure means AI systems that involve personal data processing must comply with both the GDPR (supervised by the APD) and the EU AI Act's technical and risk-management requirements (supervised by BIPT).

Key Compliance Deadlines for Belgian Organizations

Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 of July 8, 2026, the Digital Omnibus on AI, amended Article 113 of the AI Act and moved the high-risk dates back. BIPT publishes the staged timeline as follows:

• February 2, 2025: Prohibited AI practices banned (subliminal manipulation, social scoring, certain biometric identification), plus the AI literacy obligation
• August 2, 2025: GPAI model obligations, governance, penalties, notifying authorities and notified bodies apply
• August 2, 2026: AI systems other than high-risk, supervision of the transparency obligations, and other obligations apply
• December 2, 2026: Prohibited practices covering non-consensual sexual content and child sexual abuse material apply
• August 2, 2027: AI regulatory sandbox must be established
• December 2, 2027: High-risk AI systems listed in Annex III apply
• August 2, 2028: High-risk AI embedded in regulated products under Annex I applies, and the AI Act is fully applicable

Sector-Specific Authorities

Beyond BIPT and the APD, sector-specific authorities supervise AI in their respective domains: FAMHP (Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products) for AI in the pharmaceutical and medical sector, and FSMA (Financial Services and Markets Authority) for AI in financial services. These sector bodies operate alongside BIPT under the broader EU AI Act governance architecture.

Recent Developments (2024-2026)

June 2025 Portal Launch: The APD launched a new unified portal on June 10, 2025, consolidating breach notifications and DPO registration. Organizations must authenticate via Belgium's Federal Authentication Service.

May 14, 2025 IAB Europe Ruling: The Belgian Market Court endorsed the APD's reasoning and confirmed the 250,000 euro fine against IAB Europe, annulling decision 21/2022 formally and only on procedural grounds. It rejected joint controllership only for processing occurring entirely within the OpenRTB protocol.

January 9, 2026 IAB Europe Second Ruling: A further Market Court ruling annulled the APD's January 2023 approval of IAB Europe's corrective action plan, so the implementation plan returns to the Litigation Chamber. The fine and the findings behind it are unaffected.

GDPR Procedural Regulation (EU) 2025/2518: This new regulation, which entered into force on January 1, 2026 and applies from April 2, 2027, introduces binding 15-month deadlines for cross-border GDPR investigations and new procedural rights for parties. Organizations with cross-border operations should review their internal processes for responding to DPA inquiries.

APD 2026-2028 Strategic Plan: The APD formally shifted from complaint-driven to systemic-impact enforcement. Its two stated content priorities are large-scale processing that carries a high risk to individuals' rights and freedoms, and the processing of minors' data.

Fining Methodology Reform: Following the June 2023 Market Court judgment reducing a fine to 1 euro for inadequate proportionality reasoning, the APD has moved toward the EDPB's publicly documented five-step methodology. Future fines are likely to be higher as a result.

Constitutional Court Judgment 119/2025 (September 18, 2025): The Constitutional Court struck down the statutory basis on which the APD's internal rules of procedure governed complaint and report admissibility, mediation, dismissal and opportunity considerations, the complainant's position and rights of defence, language use, and enforcement of imposed measures. Those rules stay in force only until replacing legislation, and at the latest until December 31, 2026.

Single-Judge Litigation Chamber (April 2025): The Litigation Chamber began operating with a single judge rather than a three-member panel from April 25, 2025, potentially increasing per-case efficiency while reducing the total number of cases the Chamber can handle annually.

Business Compliance Checklist for Belgium

Organizations subject to Belgium's data protection regime should address the following:

Lawful basis documentation: Identify and document the GDPR Article 6(1) basis for each processing activity. Avoid relying on employee consent for employment-related processing. Conduct and document a three-part legitimate interest assessment (LIA) wherever relying on Article 6(1)(f).

DPO appointment and registration: Determine whether GDPR Article 37 or Belgian national law mandates a DPO. If required, appoint a DPO free from conflicts of interest and register them with the APD's portal. Only one DPO registration per data controller is permitted under the new portal.

Special category data: If processing health, genetic, or biometric data, establish the access log required by Belgian national law, bind all authorized persons to confidentiality obligations, and maintain logs for APD inspection.

Age of consent: For information society services offered to children, implement age-verification or parental consent mechanisms for users under 13. For users 13 to 15, the Law of 30 July 2018 permits processing with the child's consent but Belgian civil law may still require parental involvement depending on the nature of the service.

Data breach preparedness: Register for the new APD portal using Belgian eID/itsme authentication. Establish internal procedures to identify, assess, and report breaches within 72 hours of becoming aware of them.

Cookie compliance: Audit cookie banners against the APD's published cookie checklist, including a first-layer option to refuse non-essential cookies and buttons that do not nudge users toward acceptance. Ensure withdrawal of consent is as easy as granting it.

DPO and workplace monitoring: If monitoring employee communications or using CCTV, ensure compliance with CCTs 68 and 81, and document the legitimate interest basis and necessity of the monitoring.

EU AI Act readiness: Identify whether any AI systems deployed by the organization qualify as high-risk under the EU AI Act. Ensure prohibited practices (as of February 2, 2025) are not in use. After Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 of July 8, 2026, high-risk obligations apply from December 2, 2027 for Annex III systems and from August 2, 2028 for high-risk AI embedded in regulated products. The APD will supervise AI systems processing personal data; BIPT will supervise AI market placement generally.

Cross-border transfers: Maintain Transfer Impact Assessments for transfers relying on SCCs or BCRs, and monitor the legal status of adequacy decisions, particularly the EU-US Data Privacy Framework.

Disclaimer

This article presents general legal information about Belgium's data protection regime as of September 2026. It is not legal advice. The laws and regulations described were verified against primary sources as of September 9, 2026. At that date Belgium had still not notified an AI Act single point of contact to the European Commission, and both the Belgian privacy law and the APD's organic law were being revised following Constitutional Court judgment 119/2025. Organizations should consult a lawyer licensed in Belgium or the relevant EU jurisdiction for advice on their specific situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Belgium have its own data privacy law separate from the GDPR?

Yes. While the GDPR applies directly in Belgium as an EU member state, Belgium also enacted the Law of 30 July 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data. This national law addresses areas where the GDPR allows member state discretion: the age of digital consent (set at 13 in Belgium), additional safeguards for special categories of data including access logs, criminal sanctions for data protection violations, and the establishment and powers of the Belgian Data Protection Authority. Belgium's constitutional right to privacy under Article 22, inserted in 1994, provides an additional domestic legal foundation independent of EU law.

What is the maximum GDPR fine in Belgium?

Administrative fines under the GDPR can reach 20 million euros or 4% of the organization's total worldwide annual turnover, whichever is higher, for the most serious violations. These include breaches of data processing principles, unlawful processing, and violations of data subject rights. Belgian national law also sets criminal fines by offence in Title 6, Chapter II of the Law of 30 July 2018, from 100 euros up to 30,000 euros before the statutory surcharge on criminal fines is applied. Belgian public authorities are generally exempt from administrative fines. The APD is moving toward adopting the EDPB's published five-step fining methodology, which is expected to produce higher fines than Belgium's historically moderate penalty levels.

How do I report a data breach to the Belgian Data Protection Authority?

Data controllers must notify the APD within 72 hours of becoming aware of a personal data breach that poses a risk to individuals' rights and freedoms. Since June 10, 2025, notifications must be submitted through the APD's new unified portal. Organizations must create a company account authenticated via Belgium's Federal Authentication Service (FAS) using Belgian eID or itsme. Only one company account is permitted per data controller. Notifications must describe the nature of the breach, the categories and approximate number of individuals affected, the DPO's contact details, likely consequences, and remedial measures taken or planned.

At what age can children consent to data processing in Belgium?

Belgium set the age of digital consent at 13 years under Article 7 of the Law of 30 July 2018. This is the lowest threshold the GDPR permits for member states. It applies specifically to information society services offered directly to children where processing relies on consent. For children under 13, the child's legal representative must provide consent. For processing outside information society services, Belgian civil law rules on legal capacity apply, and parental involvement may be required even for children aged 13 and above depending on the nature of the legal act.

Can the Belgian DPA fine government agencies for GDPR violations?

Generally, no. Belgian law exempts public authorities and public bodies from administrative fines under the GDPR, except when those bodies offer goods or services on the open market in competition with private enterprises. The Constitutional Court rejected an action to annul that provision in judgment 3/2021 of January 14, 2021, holding that the distinction rests on an objective criterion and is not without reasonable justification. However, the APD can still issue warnings, reprimands, and compliance orders against public sector entities, and criminal sanctions under the Law of 30 July 2018 may apply to individual public officials who commit data protection offenses.

What is the APD/GBA strategic enforcement focus for 2026 to 2028?

The APD's 2026-2028 Strategic Plan shifts from reactive complaint processing to systemic-impact enforcement. It sets two content priorities: large-scale processing, public or private, that carries a high risk to individuals' rights and freedoms, and the processing of minors' personal data. The plan's examples of large-scale processing include health data held by hospitals and care networks, profiling in banking and insurance, tax databases, and advertising technology and data brokers. The APD will proactively initiate inspections rather than waiting for complaints, and will no longer provide individual guidance to DPOs, instead publishing sector-specific FAQs and checklists. Complaints suited to it are routed to mediation by the Front Office. Due to a hiring freeze through 2029, its 96 staff will be deployed on high-impact investigations.

How does the EU AI Act apply in Belgium?

The EU AI Act (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689) applies directly in Belgium. The 2025-2029 Federal Government Agreement of January 31, 2025 announced that BIPT (the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications) would take the lead as Belgium's AI Act market surveillance authority, but the European Commission's list of single points of contact, last updated September 7, 2026, still shows no entry for Belgium, so the formal designation under Article 70 is outstanding. The APD retains oversight of AI systems that process personal data. Prohibited AI practices have been banned since February 2, 2025. Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 of July 8, 2026 moved the high-risk deadlines to December 2, 2027 for Annex III systems and to August 2, 2028 for high-risk AI embedded in regulated products, the date from which the AI Act is fully applicable. Organizations deploying AI systems in Belgium should assess whether their systems qualify as high-risk and which authority, BIPT or APD, will be the primary supervisor.

What are Belgium's rules for employee monitoring and workplace privacy?

Belgium regulates workplace privacy primarily through National Labour Council collective agreements (CCTs) rather than standalone statutes. CCT No. 68 governs CCTV surveillance in the workplace. CCT No. 81 regulates employer monitoring of employee email and internet usage. CCT No. 38 governs data processing during recruitment. The APD has consistently held that employee consent cannot serve as the lawful basis for employment-related processing due to the power imbalance inherent in the employment relationship. Employers must rely on legal obligation (including the CCTs themselves, once adopted by royal decree) or a carefully documented legitimate interest.

What happened in the IAB Europe TCF case in Belgium?

The IAB Europe case spans multiple proceedings. The APD fined IAB Europe 250,000 euros in February 2022 and ordered it to bring its Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) into compliance with the GDPR. On May 14, 2025, the Belgian Market Court endorsed the APD's reasoning, confirmed the infringements and confirmed the 250,000 euro fine, annulling decision 21/2022 formally and only for procedural reasons. It rejected joint controllership only for processing occurring entirely within the OpenRTB protocol, consistent with the Court of Justice of the EU in Case C-604/22 of March 7, 2024, which held that a TC String is personal data. On January 9, 2026, the Market Court annulled the APD's January 2023 approval of the corrective action plan, sending the implementation plan back to the Litigation Chamber. The fine and the underlying findings stand.

How does Belgium handle international data transfers?

Belgium follows the GDPR's international transfer framework. Transfers within the EEA proceed freely. Transfers to countries with European Commission adequacy decisions require no additional safeguards; adequate countries and territories include Andorra, Argentina, Brazil, Canada (for PIPEDA-covered processing), the Faroe Islands, Guernsey, Israel, the Isle of Man, Japan, Jersey, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Uruguay, and the United States (for EU-US Data Privacy Framework participants), with Brazil added in January 2026 and the United Kingdom decisions renewed in December 2025. Transfers to all other countries require Standard Contractual Clauses, Binding Corporate Rules, or another GDPR Article 46 safeguard, accompanied by a Transfer Impact Assessment to verify the receiving country's legal framework does not undermine the contractual protections.