Web privacy policy (GDPR)



Web privacy policy

Why this Web Privacy Policy (‘Policy’) and when does it apply?

NV Bekaert SA with headquarters in Bekaertstraat 2, BE-8550 Zwevegem, Belgium (hereafter ‘Bekaert, ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’) values your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with this Policy and applicable privacy laws. 

Bekaert is the data controller that is responsible for the processing of any personal data through this Website. Data controller means Bekaert which, along or jointly with others, determines the purposes and means of the processing of your personal data. This Policy provides information on how we collect, use and protect your personal data that you provide to us when visiting our websites and social media pages, using our apps or contacting us. 

For more information on how we use cookies read our cookie policy

Acceptance of this Policy and Consent

The use of this website is subject to this Policy. 
By providing personal data to us, you understand and agree to the collection, processing, international transfer and use of this data. Where required by applicable law, we will ask your explicit consent.
You may always object to the use of your personal data for direct marketing purposes or withdraw any consent previously granted for a specific purpose by following the instructions in section “What are your rights?”

Which personal data do we collect?

We may use following personal data:

• contact information that allows us to communicate with you, such as your name, job title, age and prefix, username, mailing address, telephone numbers, email address or other addresses that allow us to send you messages, company information and registration information you provide on our website
• relationship information that helps us do business with you, such as the types of products and services that may interest you, contact and product preferences, languages, marketing preferences and demographic data
• • transactional information about how you interact with us, including customer account information, order and contact information, transaction and correspondence history, inquiries, quotations, invoices, and information about how you use and interact with our website 
• security and compliance Information that helps us to secure our interests, including information for conflict checks, fraud prevention and internal verification, as well as information necessary for the security of our premises, such as visual recordings
• technical information and unique device identifiers such as your IP address, operating system information, links clicked, pages visited, browser type, time zone setting, browser plug-in types, and referring websites of visitors to our website

For what purposes do we use your personal data?

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• website improvement: maintaining, customizing and improving the Website;  
• managing our relationship: managing our ongoing relationship with you, including interacting with you. fulfilling your orders and requests for quotations, invoices and other information, and providing other services related to your requests;  
• marketing: promotional offers regarding Bekaert products and services; and
• business needs: managing our business needs, such as account management, product development, contract management, corporate governance, audit, and legal compliance.

We may collect and process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• your explicit and informed consent; 
• the performance of a contract with you; 
• legal requirements;
• the legitimate interests of Bekaert, which are our usual business activities. 

Who has access to your personal data?

We may need to share your personal data with third parties: 

• Third parties: a third party is a natural or legal person, agency or processor who provides or performs services and functions on our behalf. We may make personal data available to these third parties, to perform these services and functions. Any processing of that personal data will be on our instructions and compatible with the original purposes.
• Legal obligations: we may also make personal data concerning individuals available to public or judicial authorities, law enforcement personnel and agencies as required by law, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements, and including to agencies and courts in the countries where we operate. Where permitted by law, we may also disclose such information to third parties (including legal counsel) when necessary for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims or to otherwise enforce our rights, protect our property or the rights, property or safety of others, or as needed to support external audit, compliance and corporate governance functions; Mergers & acquisitions: personal data may be transferred to a party acquiring all or part of the equity or assets of Bekaert or its business operations in the event of a sale, merger, liquidation, dissolution, or other

Bekaert may transfer your personal data to entities located in countries outside of the EEA, which do not offer an equivalent level of protection of personal data. In such cases, we will take measures to ensure that your personal data receives an adequate level of protection, such as Binding Corporate Rules, Standard Contractual Clauses or the EU/Swiss-US Privacy Shield Frameworks.

How do we protect your data?

We apply appropriate technical, physical and organizational measures that are reasonably designed to protect personal information, such as access control and back-up procedures.  Your information will be stored on secured servers located in Western Europe.

How long do we keep your data?

Your information may be subject to retention periods set out by legal requirements. In this case, documents and data must be kept unaltered and available for the periods specified by national legislation. If there are no such requirements, we will only keep your information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this privacy policy. At the end of the retention period, we will delete or anonymize your data.

What are your rights?

You have the right to request from Bekaert access to and rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing concerning you or to object to the processing as well as the right to data portability. You may also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
We may decline requests that are unreasonable or may jeopardize the privacy of others or in case access is not required by applicable legislation.

You can send the above request by e-mail to privacy@bekaert.com. 

Modification of this Policy

We may change this Policy at any time without prior notice, you are advised to regularly consult it. Any changes to this Policy will become effective when we make the revised Policy available through the website. Your continued use of the website following such changes means that you accept the revised Policy.