The employer knows in one click what residents of Brussels have not been vaccinated: “This is punishable”

By the national registry number and zip code, employers, insurance companies or banks can quickly find out if a resident of Brussels has been vaccinated. The Health Inspectorate in Brussels is investigating whether its system should be adapted online, but it is also pointing the finger at employers. “Using someone’s national registration number without their permission is punishable.”

Anyone who enters data on the Bruvax vaccination platform in Brussels will see after a single click whether an appointment can be made. If you can, that means that person has not yet been vaccinated. Report that the time employment Evening.

According to the privacy NGO Charta21, this is a violation of the GDPR. While the Prime Minister and the Data Protection Authority recently reminded us that the employer does not have the right to know the status of our vaccination, Bruvax gives all employers the opportunity to know the vaccination status of all their employees working in the Brussels region residing. According to Jack Fallon, privacy expert and Charta21 member.

The privacy organization has asked the Brussels Joint Community Committee (GGC) to “end the data breach immediately”. A spokeswoman said the relevant departments were on leave on Monday and wanted to “review the matter with the relevant departments and persons”.

It hasn’t been modified yet

The Brussels Health Inspectorate has not yet modified the system. We received an official complaint this morning. GGC’s Inge Nevin said on Tuesday that legal analysis is underway, so it’s still too early to make a statement about it. “As a government service, we naturally try to respect privacy regulations as much as possible. If adjustments are needed, we will implement them as soon as possible.”

Nevin stresses that the current system has been developed to make vaccination registration as accessible as possible. “Right now, the system works well for the purpose it was used for,” says Nevin. “And it is not unimportant, if a person uses another person’s national registration number without their permission, it is a crime. So we think we are within our rights, but we are waiting for the legal investigation.”

the master

Meanwhile, the MR is pressing for urgent consultations in the Brussels Parliament’s Public Health Committee. President Georges-Louis Bushes calls on Minister Maroun to respond to the scandal. “The pandemic should not be an excuse to violate basic rights and the rule of law. Stop serious violations,” she said on Twitter.

For MR, “Bruvaxgate” is the latest piece in “a long line of failures and mistakes by the Brussels authorities in managing the Covid crisis”. “Alain Maron has just demonstrated his inability to protect the privacy of Brussels residents and the right to professional medical secrecy. This lack of prevention is unacceptable in a modern democracy that values ​​individual rights,” Bouches said in a statement.