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News calendar_today Updated: 7 April 2026 schedule 3 min read

Over 75% of Belgian Websites Risk Being Taken Offline

An analysis shows that the vast majority of Belgian websites do not meet GDPR requirements for privacy policies. What does this mean and how can you avoid problems?

summarize Key Takeaways
  • check_circle Over 75% of Belgian websites do not fully comply with GDPR requirements
  • check_circle Most common issues: missing or incomplete privacy policy, cookies without consent
  • check_circle After a recent court ruling, the risk of enforcement through civil proceedings has increased
  • check_circle A free website scan shows within 2 minutes what issues your website has

An alarming figure

An analysis of Belgian websites shows that over 75% do not fully comply with GDPR requirements. This ranges from entirely missing privacy policies to placing tracking cookies without consent.

It is not just small businesses. Medium-sized companies, associations, and even government institutions have shortcomings.

The most common issues

No or incomplete privacy policy

Many websites have no privacy policy at all, or an outdated template that does not reflect the actual situation. The GDPR requires you to inform visitors about what data you collect, why, and for how long.

Tracking cookies from Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, advertising networks, and other external services are placed on many websites before the visitor has given consent. This is a direct violation.

Forms without a privacy reference

Contact forms, newsletter sign-ups, and quote requests collect personal data. Without a reference to the privacy policy, the visitor misses the information they are entitled to.

Outdated information

Websites that once drafted a privacy policy but never updated it. New tools, new cookies, new processing activities - the privacy policy quickly falls behind reality.

The risk is increasing

After recent court rulings where websites had to be taken offline due to privacy violations, the risk is no longer theoretical. Competitors, consumers, and advocacy organisations can take action.

What can you do?

The first step is simple: scan your website. GDPRWise automatically detects cookies, trackers, forms, and scripts, and shows you exactly where the problems are. From there, you can take targeted action.

auto_awesome Scan your website for free

Discover within 2 minutes whether your website is GDPR-compliant. The scan checks for cookies, trackers, forms, and your privacy policy.

GW
GDPRWise Editorial

This article was written by the GDPRWise team and reviewed by our privacy experts. We regularly review our content for accuracy and legal correctness.