Privacy Policy

General – We protect your personal data

AWDC is firmly committed to respecting your privacy and protecting your personal data. This Data Protection Notice explains how we use and protect personal data when you:

The processing of information relating to identified or identifiable natural persons (personal data) collected through this website or otherwise received by AWDC, such as through e-mails, business cards, fax, correspondence or registration forms, is subject to EU Regulation 2016/679 (the General Data Protection Regulation) and any national implementing or complementing rules and regulations in Belgium. The Belgian Data Protection Authority supervises compliance with the applicable data protection laws.

Which information do we collect?

AWDC may, through its website, collect certain information relating to users who visit its website and may, solely for internal purposes, track how users make use of its website. The information collected through the website includes the Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, computer and connection information such as browser type and version, operating system, as well as Uniform Resource Locators (URL) click stream to, through, and from our website, including date and time.

In addition, AWDC may collect and process information of persons who contact us (including job applicants) or register for our newsletters and events, through the website, e-mail or internet-based services. This information may include: the contact details and other information on business cards, CVs and in electronic signatures, IP addresses, e-mail addresses, passwords and information provided by the person registering for the event and/or the newsletter, and whether you have read the newsletter. If you visit our premises, we will ask you for an official ID document for security purposes.

In some cases, your information may be complemented or updated with publicly available information to ensure your contact details and professional information are up to date.

How and why do we use your data?

Your personal data are only used to the extent that this is required to pursue the following legitimate interests:

  • to ensure the security of the website;
  • to improve the website’s content and compile statistics on the use of the website;
  • public relations, including the administration of our contact database, maintaining press contacts, organising visits of the Antwerp Diamond district and the promotion and defence of interests of AWDC and the Antwerp diamond business;
  • for security purposes, to ensure legal compliance, investigate fraud or infringements and establish, defend or exercise legal claims; and/or
  • to maintain a contact database of our members and external contacts.

If requested by you, or with your consent, we may also use your personal data (consent may be assumed for existing customers of AWDC):

  • to process your queries efficiently;
  • to contact you for the purpose of providing information on our sector and our activities and developments (including the sending of newsletters and organising events);
  • allow you to manage your "my AWDC-dossier"; and/or
  • to process your job application or find job opportunities that suit your profile.

If you have consented to such processing of your personal data, you have the right to withdraw such consent at any time. Please see below for how to withdraw your consent.

To whom can we disclose your data?

AWDC relies on third parties to host and provide technical support for its website and for the delivery of its newsletters. In the context of these services, and only to the extent that this is necessary for the service they provide, these third parties may have access to the personal data processed by AWDC for the aforementioned purposes. In addition, professional advisors and auditors may have access to your personal data. Our service providers abide by appropriate confidentiality and other safeguards protecting your personal data under the same standards as described in this statement.

Under certain circumstances, AWDC may need to disclose personal data to public authorities for the purposes as mentioned above, including to comply with regulatory or legal requirements.

For the delivery of our newsletters, we rely on the services of MailChimp. To learn more about how MailChimp protects your personal data, please consult their privacy policy here. MailChimp is located in the United States of America and has been certified to protect personal data under the EU-US Privacy Shield Framework.

If you visit the Antwerp Diamond District or the AWDC offices, we may disclose your personal data that you provide us to the premises that you intend to visit and to external security firms that ensure security in the Diamond District and the AWDC offices.

Your rights - How can you manage/access/delete your data?

You have the right to access your data, have us update outdated information or correct any errors in your data or, if necessary, delete such data or request that we restrict the use thereof, or subject to conditions set out in the law, to object to any processing of personal data on grounds relating your particular situation. You also have the right to opt out of receiving newsletters or marketing materials from AWDC. With each newsletter, you will have the possibility of unsubscribing or updating your information and preferences.

If you are registered on the www.adjobs.be platform, you have the right to data portability of the data that you have provided to us.

If you attend our events, we may take pictures of you which we use on our website to report on these events. If you wish that we remove your picture from the website, please send an email with proof of your identity to the contact address below.

You can exercise your rights, or withdraw consent by sending an email to GDPR@awdc.be or by sending a registered letter to the legal department of AWDC, Hoveniersstraat 22, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium. Please note that we may ask for additional information to ascertain your identity before we comply with your request. If we cannot remedy your concern, you can contact the Belgian Data Protection Authority with questions or concerns relating to the protection of your personal data.

Security and confidentiality

On both an organizational and technical level, AWDC has developed and adapted security measures, regarding personal information collected on the Websites, to avert unauthorized destruction, loss, alteration, modification, unauthorized access or accidental communication to third parties, as well as any other unauthorized data processing.

In any event, AWDC cannot be held liable for any direct or indirect damages resulting from the wrongful or unlawful use of your personal data by a third party.

This website may contain links, hyperlinks or references to websites from third parties. AWDC is not responsible for the content and data protection compliance of these websites nor the products or services they offer. AWDC recommends that users read carefully the privacy policy of every website they visit – they may differ from this Data Protection Notice

How long do we keep your data?

Data about your browsing our website will be kept only for the duration of the session. However, cookies may last longer on your device so we can identify you upon your next visit.

Registrations for events or newsletters will be kept until after the event or until you unsubscribe from our newsletters.

Information about visitors at our premises are kept for 30 days or longer if required for security purposes or to investigate an incident.

Other personal data that we have will be retained for the duration that is relevant for the purpose as set out above, in accordance to internal retention periods, taking into account contractual or legal obligations and liability that we may have to keep records of our files.

Governing law and jurisdiction stipulation

This Data Protection Notice shall be governed, interpreted and enforced in accordance with Belgian law, which applies exclusively for any litigation.
Antwerp courts have exclusive jurisdiction to rule on any dispute that may arise from the interpretation or implementation of this Data Protection Notice.

Contact

Persons requesting any additional information, comments, complaints or disputes concerning this Data Protection Notice or concerning manner in which AWDC collects your personal data can contact us by email at GDPR@awdc.be or by sending a registered letter to the legal department of AWDC, Hoveniersstraat 22, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium.