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Stadspiratie privacy policy

The Flemish Community Commission (VGC) respects your privacy and handles your personal data in a responsible and safe manner. This privacy statement applies to the personal data we collect in order to carry out Stadspiratie successfully. Your personal data will always be processed as anonymously as possible. In this privacy statement we will outline the various aspects of our privacy policy.

The VGC reserves the right to change the privacy statement at any time.

How can you take part?

Anyone can view the content on the online platform and take part in the online test. If you want to submit a proposal or an idea, post a comment or support published ideas, you will need to create an account. You can also participate by sending the postcard with your idea written on it by post. Additionally, offline events will occasionally be organised as part of the project.

You can create an account as an individual or as an organisation. Are you registering as a group or an association? Then we assume that you speak on behalf of that group or association.

Below we will explain the different situations in which we collect data from you, and what we do with that data and why.

If you post a public contribution

To be able to post a public contribution such as an idea, proposal, photo or comment on the platform, you first need to create an account. Therefore you have to provide us with the following information: your first name, your last name, your email address, your age, your gender and your postcode. This information is recorded and linked to your profile.

Once you have created your account, you will receive an email to confirm your registration. You may also receive an email in which we ask you to provide more information about your submitted idea. If you post a contribution, we will notify you by email whether it has been published or not.

Your contribution, idea or comment will appear on the platform along with your first name and the first letter of your last name (e.g. Peter P.). If you register as an organisation, the full name of your organisation will also appear (e.g. Peter P. from The Football Team).

If you send a postcard by post

You can also participate by sending the postcard with your idea written on it by post. We will then publish the idea on the website, stating only your first name and the first letter of your last name. If you choose to provide your email address on the postcard, you agree to subscribe to the newsletter. In addition we may contact you by email asking for more information about your idea.

If you subscribe to the newsletter

If you subscribe to the newsletter, we will keep you informed about the next stages of the project. In every email you will have the chance to opt-out of receiving those newsletters. We will send you regular emails to:

  • keep you informed about Stadspiratie (e.g. progress, developments, results),
  • invite you to events related to Stadspiratie,
  • invite you to take part in projects related to Stadspiratie.

If you take part in the online test

If you participate in the online test, we will ask you to provide a few personal details in an anonymised form. We use this data to determine the scope of participation, so that all target groups are involved in this participation process.

The requested details are: type of user from the Brussels Capital Region (resident, employed, student, visitor); municipality; age (under 25, 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, over 65); gender; children (yes/no).

Shared data via connected social media

If you want to post on social media from the platform, you first have to log in to the relevant social network. That social network is then responsible for the data you have to provide. The VGC only records that you have shared the contribution and through which social network.

Under no circumstances can the VCG be held responsible for the data that social network providers such as Google, Facebook or Twitter collect about you.

Shared data through the use of the platform

When you use the platform, our servers automatically record data that your web browser sends us when you visit a website (“Log Data”). This information includes, for example, the browser you are using, your IP address and the search terms used.

If you interact with a contribution on the platform, we have access to data that identifies the reach and scope of the contribution (e.g., clicks, likes, shares, etc.).

Like almost all websites, we also use cookies and similar technology to improve our website and our services. We use both “session cookies”, which are deleted as soon as you leave our website, and “persistent cookies”, which are not automatically deleted. You can delete these cookies yourself via your browser settings. Please find a complete overview and more information on: cookies.

If you request help and support

If you contact us with a question or a comment, you are largely in control of what information we receive from you. For example, you can send us an email in which you also include your Twitter account, professional address or a photo.

Personal data of children

If children or adolescents under the age of 13 want to participate in Stadspiratie, they can do so indirectly through the registration of a person who has the right to exercise parental authority over the child or adolescent in question. If it becomes clear that we have collected personal data which has been provided without parental consent, we will remove the personal data from our files as soon as possible.

Why do we collect your data?

We may use your personal data for some or all of the following reasons:

  • to publish your public contributions on the platform and to help you to continue to share them;
  • to keep you informed about Stadspiratie (if you want to be kept informed);
  • to process your contribution anonymously for the follow-up of the project, to prepare a project report or to perform aggregated analyses;
  • to carry out random user research (in an anonymous and aggregated way), so that we can use your feedback to improve our methods and tools;
  • to take the necessary support actions to ensure the functioning and maintenance of your account and/or of the platform and the website;
  • to improve the website: to improve and personalise your experience on our websites by using information such as login data, technical computer data and/or information about your previous use of the website.

Do we pass on your personal details?

We will not pass on your personal data to third parties, unless we receive your specific, explicit permission to do so. In some cases, however, the law requires us to disclose your information to the competent authorities.

We secure the data in a responsible manner, taking into account current practices and expectations. However, no system or platform is infallible. If you suspect that your information is being misused, please contact us immediately by sending an email to gdpr@bpart.be.

How long do we store your data?

The VGC does not store your personal data any longer than necessary, taking into account the need to answer questions and solve problems, to improve services and offer new services, and to comply with legal requirements. This means that we may keep your personal information for a reasonable period of time after your last interaction with Stadspiratie. We keep the data until the end of the multi-year planning, at the latest.

What are your rights?

  • You can have your personal data corrected or supplemented with additional information. You can also exercise this right yourself via your profile page (My Profile).
  • You can request to access your personal details.
  • Your right to data portability: you can receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.
  • Your right to restrict the processing of your data: you have the right to request that the processing of your personal data be restricted in future.
  • You have the right to revoke consent given (e.g. newsletter).
  • You always have the right to have your data deleted.

Contact us

Do you have any questions or comments about this privacy statement or the way in which we collect personal data? Do you want to exercise one or more of your rights? Then please send an email to gdpr@bpart.be.

You can also submit a complaint to the Data Protection Authority, Rue de la presse 35, 1000 Brussels, Tel. +32 (0) 2 274 48 00, email contact@apd-gba.be