Last updated: August 7, 2026

The Ghent Workgroup (Abbreviated as “GWG”, legal name: “Ghent PDF Workgroup”) respects your privacy and aims to handle personal information responsibly and transparently. This privacy policy explains what personal data we collect through this website, why we collect it, and what rights you have regarding your data.

Who we are

The GWG is a Belgian non-profit organization active in developing and promoting standards and best practices for print and publishing workflows. For the purposes of applicable data protection legislation, the GWG is the controller of personal data processed through this website.

Ghent PDF Workgroup
Company registration number: 0862.703.647
Contact email for privacy inquiries: admin@gwg.org

Information we collect

Depending on how you use our website and interact with the GWG, we may process the following information:

Contact enquiries

If you contact us through a form on the website, we collect the information you provide, such as your name, email address, organization, and the content of your message. We use this information only to respond to your inquiry and, where appropriate, to follow up on the matter you contacted us about.

Newsletter

If you subscribe to a GWG newsletter or other email communications, we process your name and email address for that purpose. You can unsubscribe at any time using the unsubscribe link included in our emails or by contacting us.

Events

When you register for a GWG meeting, educational event or other activity, we may collect information such as your name, organization, email address and other information necessary to organize the event. We use this information to manage registrations, communicate with participants, and organize the event.

Member accounts

Representatives of GWG member organizations may have an account on the website. We process the limited personal information necessary to manage these accounts and the person’s relationship with their member organization, such as name, professional contact details, organization and account information.

Website analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website. This helps us understand, for example, which pages are visited and how people navigate through the website, so that we can improve its content and usability. Google Analytics is only activated after you have given consent to analytics cookies. Information generated through Google Analytics may be processed by Google in accordance with its own privacy and data-processing terms.

You can change or withdraw your cookie preferences at any time through the cookie settings available on this website.

Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies. Some cookies are technically necessary for the website to function, for example to maintain a logged-in session or remember your cookie preferences. Other cookies, including analytics cookies, are only used with your consent.

More detailed information about the cookies used by this website is available in our Cookie Policy.

Why we process personal data

Depending on the situation, we process personal information:

• because you have given us your consent, for example for newsletters and analytics cookies;
• because processing is necessary to provide something you have requested, such as registering for an event or maintaining a member account;
• because we have a legitimate interest in communicating with members, responding to enquiries and operating and improving the Ghent Workgroup;
• where necessary, because we have a legal obligation to retain or process certain information.

Who we share data with

We do not sell personal information. We may share personal data with service providers that help us operate the website and our activities, such as website hosting providers, email or newsletter services, event services and analytics providers. These providers receive only the information necessary to provide their services and process it in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements.

We may also disclose information when required to do so by law.

International data transfers

Some service providers we use, including Google, may process information outside the European Economic Area. Where personal data is transferred internationally, appropriate mechanisms and safeguards required by applicable data-protection legislation are used.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected.

In particular:

• contact inquiries are retained for as long as necessary to deal with the inquiry and any reasonable follow-up;
• newsletter subscription information is retained until you unsubscribe;
• event information is retained for as long as necessary for the organization and administration of the event and any related legal or accounting obligations;
• member account information is retained for as long as the account or relevant membership relationship remains active, and for a reasonable administrative period afterward;
• analytics information is retained according to the retention settings configured for our analytics service.

Where legislation requires information to be retained for a particular period, we retain it for that period.

Your rights

Under applicable data-protection legislation, you may have the right to:

• ask what personal information we hold about you;
• obtain a copy of that information;
• ask us to correct inaccurate information;
• ask us to delete information where applicable;
• ask us to restrict certain processing;
• object to certain processing;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
• request the transfer of your data where the right to data portability applies.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at admin@gwg.org.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data-protection supervisory authority. In Belgium, the competent authority is the Belgian Data Protection Authority (Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit / Autorité de protection des données).

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time, for example when we change the website or the services we use. The date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last updated.