Joris Deene
The influence of major technology companies such as Amazon, Google (Alphabet) and Meta is hard to overestimate. They have reshaped not only our online interactions and political debate, but also the economy...
Can an appeal against a DPA decision be inadmissible?
You disagree with a decision of the Data Protection Authority (GBA) and appeal to the Market Court. Yet, the court declares your appeal ‘inadmissible’ even before the discussion on the merits ...
Does an AI model trained on photographs infringe copyright?
Generative AI systems such as Stable Diffusion are trained on billions of images retrieved from the Internet. Many of those images are copyrighted. The question that creatives and lawyers...
MFA disabled and hacked: who pays skyrocketing data bill?
An IT service provider fails to enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on a customer's cloud environment. A hacker penetrates and consumes more than 700,000 euros worth of cloud services. The distributor...
Is defamation via a YouTube video a printing press crime?
A remarkable ruling by the Ghent correctional court on Nov. 3, 2025, has reignited the debate over the limits of free speech and the definition of “press crimes” in the digital age...
Can the DPA reject my complaint if it is a private dispute?
Many data protection complaints do not arise in a vacuum; they are often intertwined with an underlying conflict with an employer, an ex-partner or, as in a recent case, a co-worker. The question is: Should the...
Can you file a descriptive anti-counterfeiting seizure if a former employee copies your software?
An ex-employee starting a competitive business is a classic nightmare for any technology company. Especially when it happens suspiciously fast. An order from the president of Dutch...
What does the DPA's 2026-2028 strategic plan teach us?
The Data Protection Authority (GBA) has published its draft strategic plan for 2026-2028. The GBA is struggling with an increasing number of cases and a wave of new, complex European legislation, but is being...
Can a minor give permission to an influencer to use her images on his TikTok channel?
An influencer films minors for ‘challenges’ and posts it online without permission, resulting in severe harassment. The correctional court in Ghent ruled in a verdict dated Oct. 27, 2025...
Can a government agency prohibit a private company from using the same name?
Imagine this: the name or acronym of your government department or NPO, which you have used for years, is suddenly used prominently by a commercial company. You fear reputational damage and public confusion and...
Is a ‘thumbs up’ emoji (👍) enough to close a contract?
In the digital age, business communications happen at lightning speed via email, Teams or WhatsApp. But what if one of your employees answers a detailed proposal with only a ‘thumbs up’ (👍)...
What is the ‘Cloud Sovereignty Framework?
The European Commission has published a new ‘Cloud Sovereignty Framework,’ a document that transforms a vague political term - ‘sovereignty’ - into a concrete, measurable...
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