Belgium Lets Online Bullying Victims Request Perpetrator ID
Victims of online bullying, threats, and harassment in Belgium will soon be able to request the identity of anonymous perpetrators through the Telecommunications Ombudsman Service, under new legislation approved by the federal government. The law, proposed by Minister of Consumer Protection Rob Beenders (Vooruit) and Minister of Digitalization Vanessa Matz (Les Engagés), aims to close a critical gap in existing protections as harassment increasingly shifts from phone and SMS to social media platforms.
Background: An Evolving Threat
Until now, victims of harassment via phone calls or text messages could already request perpetrator identity information from the Ombudsdienst voor Telecommunicatie — provided a phone number was visible. But as communication has migrated to platforms like WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Snapchat, where perpetrators often hide behind anonymous profiles, victims had no equivalent recourse.
“Bullying, intimidation and threats happen much more via Facebook, Instagram or chat services,” Beenders told HLN. The scale of the problem is significant: the Ombudsdienst voor Telecommunicatie received approximately 1,555 complaints about online bullying last year, with more than half of all complaints to the service concerning online harassment.
How the New Law Works
Under the new legislation, victims can approach the Ombudsman Service to request the identity of anonymous perpetrators on social media and chat platforms. The law also covers identity fraud cases where someone impersonates a victim online. Operators and other involved services will be legally obligated to cooperate with Ombudsman investigations, and non-compliance can result in fines imposed by the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT).
Once victims obtain the perpetrator’s identity, they have several options: file a police complaint, pursue legal action, or contact the alleged perpetrator directly. The law also applies when perpetrators operate from abroad, with the Ombudsman Service instructed to contact international services in such cases.
According to VRT NWS, the law extends existing protections that previously only covered threats and stalking via visible phone numbers, bringing the legal framework in line with modern communication realities.
Expert Concerns: Feasibility and Due Process
While the law has been welcomed as a step forward, experts have raised significant concerns about its practical implementation. Professor Bart Preneel, a specialist in computer security and cryptography at KU Leuven, warned that the law faces substantial technical and legal hurdles.
Preneel told VRT NWS that IP addresses can be easily circumvented using VPNs or TOR, meaning “the people you really want to catch, you won’t find.” He also questioned whether major tech companies like Meta and Google would cooperate fully. “From experience with European legislation we know that they are not very enthusiastic about doing that,” Preneel said. “They often cooperate with very serious problems like death threats, but with stalking or insults they are more reluctant.”
A more fundamental concern, according to Preneel, is that the Ombudsman Service must assess what constitutes “bullying” — a judgment that could impact freedom of expression, a fundamental right. “Worrying that the responsibility is placed with an ombudsman,” he said. “Actually, that is the task of a police service.”
Preneel also warned about the risk of vigilantism. “The fact that there is the possibility to take the law into one’s own hands seems very worrying to me,” he told VRT NWS. “You simply don’t know what people plan to do with that information.”
Broader Implications: National vs. European Solutions
The new Belgian law reflects a growing trend of individual EU member states pursuing their own online safety legislation rather than waiting for coordinated European action. Preneel argues this approach is problematic, warning that fragmentation makes it easier for tech companies to resist compliance.
“If you fine them, they will challenge it in court and we’ll be another five years further,” Preneel told HLN. “Those companies are better tackled at European level than at Belgian scale.” He noted that existing European tools — the Digital Services Act, Digital Markets Act, and GDPR — are “not being used enough” and that enforcement needs improvement.
According to background research from Internet Safety Statistics, approximately 10% of Belgian children and adolescents aged 12-18 have experienced some form of cyberbullying, with social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok serving as the primary venues.
What’s Next
The law has been approved by the federal government but still requires formal publication in the Belgian Official Gazette before taking effect. Key questions remain unanswered: How will the Ombudsman Service handle the expected increase in workload? Will major tech platforms comply with Belgian requests, or will legal challenges ensue? And what safeguards will prevent abuse of the system through false claims?
As Belgium moves forward with this legislation, its effectiveness — or lack thereof — may serve as a test case for similar initiatives in other EU member states grappling with the challenge of balancing online privacy, freedom of expression, and protection from digital harm.