Personal data and privacy

This page explains which data may be requested, which data may not be retained, which data may be retained temporarily, and under which conditions the police or judicial authorities may access such data.

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1. Why certain data is requested 2. Data that may not be retained 3. Data that may be retained temporarily 4. Access by police and judicial authorities 5. Integrity investigations and confidentiality 6. Key points

1. Why certain data is requested

The law requires verification checks prior to the publication of advertisements in order to ensure legal age and prevent abuse. Certain data may also be necessary in the context of an investigation (account identification, traceability of payments, technical connection data).

to prevent any advertising involving minors;
to reduce the risk of abuse and human trafficking;
to enable cooperation with the police or judicial authorities where an investigation is opened.

2. Data that may not be retained

Certain data is used solely to verify identity and legal age at the time of the request and may not be retained thereafter.

Verification photo: the recent facial photograph taken on the day of the request may not be retained. It must be deleted once the verification has been completed.

3. Data that may be retained temporarily

Platforms are required to retain certain information in order to assist the police or judicial authorities in the event of an investigation. Such retention is limited and strictly linked to that purpose.

copy of an identity document;
account creation data;
payment data, where applicable;
IP address and connection logs (technical account data);
geolocation data, where collected via the service (e.g. location used for an advertisement or at the time of connection).

This data must be retained for three years after the end of the advertisement, solely for the purpose of assisting the police or judicial authorities in the event of an investigation.

Important: data retention is intended to support investigations. It does not justify unlimited collection or retention unrelated to the use of the service.

4. Access by police and judicial authorities

The law provides for cooperation in cases involving serious offences. Platforms must in particular designate a contact point reachable by the police or judicial authorities and respond promptly in emergency situations.

requests and disclosures take place within the framework of an investigation;
retained data is used to assist the police or judicial authorities;
in cases of suspected abuse or trafficking, operators must report without delay to the competent authorities.

5. Integrity investigations and confidentiality

In the context of a municipal integrity investigation, the collected information is processed in a confidential manner and access is limited to authorised persons.

data is retained for a maximum of five years, after which it must be destroyed;
the individual concerned benefits from procedural safeguards (information, right to be heard, and remedies in accordance with applicable rules).

6. Key points

the verification photo may not be retained and must be deleted after verification;
certain data may be retained temporarily to assist the police or judicial authorities in the event of an investigation;
this may include account data, payment data and technical data (IP addresses, connection logs), as well as location data where collected;
retention by platforms is limited to three years after the end of the advertisement;
platforms must be reachable by the police or judicial authorities in emergency situations;
integrity investigations are subject to confidentiality and limited retention periods.