Vespa Alert Belgium – Personal data protection

Version 1.0 – 10/12/2025

This Privacy Policy explains how Vespa Alert Belgium collects, uses, stores and protects personal data in the context of reports of Asian hornet nests (Vespa velutina) in Belgium. We comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR – EU 2016/679) and with Belgian data protection law.

1. Data controller

The data controller is:

Vespa Alert Belgium
General contact email: contact@vespa-alert.be

2. Personal data we collect

When you use the platform, and in particular when you submit a report, we may collect the following categories of data:

2.1. Identification data

• Email address
• Telephone number
• First name and surname (if you choose to provide them)

2.2. Location data

• Address or description of the place where the nest is located
• GPS coordinates, when you activate the geolocation function

This information is necessary to allow a sufficiently precise location of the nest and, where appropriate, to organise an intervention by competent services or professional operators.

2.3. Data relating to the observed nest

• Type of support (tree, building, hedge, structure, etc.)
• Estimated height of the nest
• Estimated size of the nest
• Observed activity (presence of insects, intensity, etc.)
• Date of observation
• Any additional information entered in the “comments” field

2.4. Photographs

You may attach photographs of the suspected nest. These images may contain indirectly identifying elements (buildings, gardens, street signs, etc.). We ask users to avoid including identifiable persons in the photos submitted.

2.5. Technical data

• Date and time of the report
• Technical information about the device or browser (type, version, etc.)

This technical data is used solely to ensure the proper functioning and security of the platform.

3. Purposes of processing

The personal data we collect are processed for the following purposes:

• To register and analyse reports of Asian hornet nests;
• To locate nests so that a possible intervention by competent services or professional operators can be organised;
• To transmit relevant information to authorities, partners or recognised operators involved in controlling the Asian hornet;
• To update maps and dashboards (public or professional) showing reported, confirmed or neutralised nests;
• To produce aggregated and anonymised statistics on the presence and spread of the species in Belgium;
• To respond to questions or requests for clarification addressed to Vespa Alert Belgium;
• To improve the quality of the service, the relevance of the information and the detection of potentially incorrect or abusive reports.

Your data are never used for advertising or direct marketing purposes.

4. Legal bases for processing

In accordance with the GDPR, the processing of personal data by Vespa Alert Belgium is based on the following legal grounds:

4.1. Consent (Article 6.1(a) GDPR)

By submitting a report through the form, you voluntarily provide the necessary information and consent to its processing for the purposes described in this Policy.

4.2. Task carried out in the public interest (Article 6.1(e) GDPR)

Monitoring and managing an invasive alien species such as the Asian hornet serve the protection of biodiversity, beekeeping and, more broadly, the public interest. The processing carried out by Vespa Alert Belgium falls within this framework.

4.3. Legitimate interest (Article 6.1(f) GDPR)

Some processing operations may be based on the legitimate interests of Vespa Alert Belgium, in particular:

• To ensure the quality and reliability of reports;
• To prevent misuse of the platform;
• To improve understanding of the species’ spread.

5. Recipients of the data

Personal data collected via the platform may, where strictly necessary and under secure conditions, be transmitted to the following categories of recipients:

• Competent regional authorities (Wallonia, Flanders, Brussels);
• Municipalities and inter-municipal bodies concerned by the presence of nests;
• Recognised pest control operators and professional service providers;
• Research organisations or environmental observatories;
• Users of the PRO area, within the limits of their access rights.

Identification data of citizens who submit reports (name, email, telephone number) are not shared with operators or authorities unless necessary, legally required or explicitly consented to by the person concerned.

6. Hosting and security

Data are hosted on secure servers located within the European Union or with service providers offering adequate GDPR safeguards.

Vespa Alert Belgium implements appropriate technical and organisational measures, such as:

• Encryption of communications (HTTPS);
• Strict access management and authentication;
• Regular backups;
• Logging of access and of sensitive operations.

7. Retention periods

Personal data are retained for limited and proportionate periods:

• Contact details of the reporter (email, telephone, name): kept for a maximum of 2 years after the end of the relevant reporting season.
• Environmental data (nest location, type of support, observation info): kept for up to 5 years for trend and distribution analyses.
• Photographs: in principle kept for 1 year, unless explicit agreement is obtained for longer use or retention.
• Anonymised statistical data: may be retained without time limit for scientific or general analysis purposes.

8. Your rights

In accordance with the GDPR, you have the following rights with respect to your data:

• Right of access: to obtain confirmation that your data are processed and to access them;
• Right to rectification: to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”), within the limits laid down by law;
• Right to restriction of processing;
• Right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation;
• Right to withdraw consent, where processing is based on it;
• Right to data portability for data you have provided, in the cases foreseen by the GDPR.

To exercise these rights, you can contact us at: contact@vespa-alert.be.

We will normally respond within 30 days of receiving your request, except in more complex cases as foreseen by the regulation.

9. Cookies

The Vespa Alert Belgium website mainly uses functional cookies that are necessary for the proper operation of the platform (navigation, forms, security).

No third-party advertising or tracking cookies are used without your explicit consent. If analytical or audience measurement cookies are added, an appropriate cookie consent banner will be displayed.

10. Use by minors

The platform is not specifically intended for children under 16 years of age. We recommend that any reports submitted by minors be made with the consent and under the supervision of an adult.

11. Changes to this Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated to reflect legal, technical or organisational developments, or to take account of new functionalities of the platform.

The date of the latest update will always be indicated at the top of this document. We encourage users to consult this page regularly.

12. Contact and complaints

For any question regarding this Policy or the way your data are processed, you can contact:

Vespa Alert Belgium
Email: contact@vespa-alert.be

If you believe that your rights are not being respected, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority.