The federal government wants to improve its relationship with citizens, and to do so it has launched a striking transparency project. Through mydata.belgium.be you can now see what your personal data is used for. But the necessary context is missing, says privacy expert Matthias Dobbelaere-Welvaert.
State Secretary for Digitization and Privacy Mathieu Michel (MR) called MyData ‘the largest transparency project in Belgium’.
“That is a bit of press language, of course. I think the Secretary of State wanted to make himself heard earlier. I don’t think the project is that big. But it is useful. Any form of transparency is good and actually also mandatory according to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation).”
So you would recommend people to use this tool?
“Certainly. According to the GDPR you have the right to inspect when your personal data is being used. But citizens rarely ask for that insight. While it’s not difficult, it happens very infrequently. I think it will be the same with MyData. Either people don’t know they have that right, or they don’t find it interesting. I hope the former.”
What are you as a citizen with that information? Can you dig deeper into it if you suspect that the government is unjustifiably snooping into your data?
“In the event of a breach of your privacy, this government tool itself does not provide the context you need. Compare it to a medical record. It tells you what your illness is, but not what you need to do to heal. For example, MyData could have immediately referred to a DPO (data protection officer) of a certain government department. In the event of an infringement, you could then contact them immediately. The tool now functions as a kind of starting point, but it could have been much more.”
For what motives are citizens’ data consulted most often?
“Most information is in the hands of the FPS Finance. The tax authorities must ensure that everyone pays their taxes properly. So they do regular searches. A lot of control will be carried out on everything that has to do with money. But they have that right.
“It only becomes a problem when an FPS is not authorized to view data and does so anyway. This is more likely to happen with well-known people or in a private context. People are more likely to consult the data of the neighbor than that of a complete stranger.”
Does every federal institution participate in the project?
“I think it should. It goes without saying that State Security is an exception. But the other settings should be as transparent as possible. In addition, a FPS can also offer someone’s personal information outside MyData. Because if MyData stays that vague, I don’t think it will be used very often.”
Does MyData threaten to frighten citizens needlessly about what could be an innocent search?
“Depends who you ask. Someone who doesn’t have much faith in the government anyway could be shocked. In addition, you will also see information in MyData that you have requested yourself. For example, when you request a certificate of good moral conduct, the FPS Justice will appear in your MyData. That can be confusing for many people.
“Actually, this government tool was also created to reduce the workload for the FODs. They then have to deal less directly with transparency towards citizens. But because the tool is not clear, there will be more work for the FODs. That’s a shame, except for me. I have enough work now.” (laughs)
