Cookie policy
A cookie is a small text file that can be stored on your computer when you visit websites.
What is a cookie?
Information is saved in this text file, such as your choice of language on a website. When you visit the website later again, this cookie returns to the concerned website. In this way, the website recognizes your browser and can for example retain your choice of language.
Cookies usually also have an expiration date. For example, some cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser (so-called session cookies), while others can be stored longer on your computer, sometimes until you delete them manually (so-called permanent cookies).
However, other tracking mechanisms may also fall under the "cookie regulation" (see the broad definition in Article 10/2 of the Law of July 30 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data).
These include tracking in applications on the smartphone, but also other techniques such as the use of a pixel, device fingerprinting, local storage, etc. The Data Protection Authority uses (in addition to strictly necessary cookies) only a privacy-friendly analysis tool (see below).
Why do we use cookies?
The Belgian Data Protection Authority, administrator of this website, uses 3 types of tracking mechanisms on the website https://www.dataprotectionauthority.be/ :
- strictly necessary technical cookies;
- strictly necessary functional cookies;
- a privacy-friendly analysis tool.
The Belgian Data Protection Authority uses strictly necessary cookies to manage the content of its website. These cookies are necessary for the proper functioning of this website. It is not possible to refuse these cookies if you want to visit our website.
The Data Protection Authority also uses "Plausible" for analytical purposes. This open source analysis tool captures certain data (see the table at https://plausible.io/data-policy). If you give us your consent, this data will be used to generate aggregated statistics. In particular, this allows us to know how many times a given page has been read. We only use this information to improve the content of our website or as the basis for a new campaign on a certain topic that is attracting a lot of interest.
The (limited) data we use in this respect remains within the European Union (Estonia and Germany). Nor is the data shared with other parties or recipients. It is encrypted and the principle of data minimization is strictly respected.
List of strictly necessary technical cookies
These cookies are necessary for purely technical reasons for a normal visit of the website. Given the technical necessity, an information obligation solely applies, and these cookies are saved from the moment you access the website.
| Name | Expiry | Content | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| PHPSESSIONID | At the end of the session | A sequence of characters | Links authenticated user requests to the session. |
| BIGIpServer~SOC~router.prd | At the end of the session | Randomly generated string | Assigns the processing of the requests of a user to a server. |
| Cda4047f0002d27d62 (the name varies from one user to another) |
At the end of the session | A sequence of characters | Assigns the processing of the requests of a user to a server. |
List of strictly necessary functional cookies
You cannot block these cookies if you want to access this website, but they are saved only after a choice is made concerning the placement of cookies.
| Name | Expiry | Content | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orejime | 90 days | JSON-object | Informs the website if you want to accept the cookies or not |
List of data used by the analysis tool
The following data is used for analysis purposes only, if you have consented to this:
| Data point | Example | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Page URL | https://www.dataprotectionauthority.be/citizen/themes/internet |
The tool tracks the page URL of each page view on our website. We use this information to see which pages have been viewed and how many times a particular page has been viewed. The hostname and path are collected. Query parameters are discarded, except for these special query parameters: ref=, source=, utm_source=, utm_medium=, utm_campaign=, utm_content= and utm_term=. |
| HTTP Referer | https://www.ikbeslis.be/ | The referrer string is used to show us the number of visitors referred to our website from links on other sites. |
| Browser | Chrome 86.0 | This is used to know what browsers and browser version numbers people use when visiting our website. This is derived from the User-Agent HTTP header. The full User-Agent is discarded. |
| Operating system | macOS 10.15 | This is used to know what operating systems people use when visiting our website. It shows the brand of the operating system and the version number. This is derived from the User-Agent HTTP header. The full User-Agent is discarded. |
| Device type | Desktop | This is used to know which devices people use when visiting our website. Devices are categorized into desktop, mobile or tablet. This is derived from the User-Agent HTTP header. The full User-Agent is discarded. |
| Country, region, city | United Kingdom, England, London | The visitor's "location" is determined from their IP address. Nothing more granular than the city level is tracked and the IP address of the visitor is discarded. Plausible never stores IP addresses in their database or logs. |
How can I see which cookies are saved in my device and how can I delete them?
You can simply withdraw your consent by modifying your choice in the consent window at the top of this cookie policy. A link to this consent window is also provided at the bottom of each web page.
If you wish to know which cookies have been saved on your device or if you can delete them, you can use a parameter of your browser. You will find more information on how to do it via the following links.
| Firefox | Chrome | Safari | Microsoft Edge |
| Firefox (mobile) | Chrome (mobile) | Safari (mobile) | Microsoft Edge (mobile) |
If you use another browser, you can check if the procedure for your browser is mentioned in this explanatory website.
External links
The Data Protection Authority's website mentions external links to document certain information. These links are marked with a specific symbol indicating that the user is leaving the Authority's website. The activation of these links is the responsibility of the user. However, we advise to consult the privacy statement as well as the cookie policy of the site concerned.