Belgium set to introduce hefty fines for privacy violations

The Belgian government is set to introduce legislation that would see companies fined up to 810,000 euros (910,100 U.S. dollars) for privacy violations, De Morgen reported on Monday.

The bill will be put before the parliament in the autumn.

If the law is passed in Belgium, the country would become one of the first of its European neighbours to introduce such a measure.

The Netherlands is also working on a similar law, which would come into force on Jan. 1 2016, and would carry the same fine.

At a European level, EU governments are currently negotiating a related law to be introduced in its member states as a deterrent for internet companies from abusing the personal data of users for commercial purposes.

According to Secretary of State for privacy, Bart Tommelein, Belgium will not wait for the EU to bring in its law, opting instead to go ahead on its own.

According to Tommelein, the law will enable the Privacy Commission to act a "regulator which can impose administrative fines."

"We are already prepared for the European regulation, we are stronger and we keep up the pressure. I want this to deliver a clear message. Privacy has become so important, we must show that it is serious," he said, quoted in De Morgen.

He also stated that consultations should first be held with the government, parliament and members of the entrepreneurial field. The rules and levels of fines would be aligned with The Netherlands, he indicated.

"Fines must simply be sufficiently high to scare the big fish," he said. Endit