The Data brokers market study provides a methodology to identify data brokers and presents a typology of data brokers, together with an analysis of their business models and an initial risk assessment.
In addition, the report provides an in-depth overview of a number of data brokers and providers identified in Belgium, ranked by type. Possible data brokers were assessed against the criteria outlined in the report. Overall, the study shows that the data broker and provider market in Belgium is highly diverse, with varying levels of risk related to personal data usage.
The EDPB launched the project in the context of the Support Pool of Experts programme at the request of the Belgian Data Protection Authority (DPA).
The project was completed by external SPE expert Ruben d'Hauwers in November 2025.
Objective
This study aims to give greater insights into the ecosystem of personal data providers and data brokers operating in Belgium, while also offering a framework to detect likely high-risk data providers and brokers across Europe.