Terms of Use

BEAM government secure communications

Version: February 24, 2026

These Terms of Use apply to the use of the BEAM government secure communications application (hereinafter "BEAM"), offered by Belgian Secure Communications (hereinafter referred to as "BSC").

By downloading or using BEAM, the user expressly agrees to these terms of use.

If any provision of these terms of use is declared, in whole or in part, invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, this shall not affect the validity, legality, and enforceability of the remaining provisions. In such event, BSC shall replace the provision concerned with a valid, legal, and enforceable provision that approximates the intended effect of the original provision as closely as possible.

1. The Service

BEAM government secure communications is an internal instant messaging application of the Belgian government, the use of which is exclusively reserved for professional communication between employees of government agencies in Belgium.

BEAM is accessible via:

• The browser through the web client
• An application for iOS
• An application for Android.

A user profile is created in BEAM as soon as the user logs in for the first time.

(Re)verification of user status – The use of BEAM government secure communications is expressly and exclusively reserved for individuals who are employees of government agencies in Belgium, whether at the federal, regional, community, provincial, or municipal level.

This status is verified prior to the use of the services based on the user's professional email address and phone number. As part of this verification, an access code will be sent to the professional email address provided by you. This access code must be entered by you into the application.

BEAM government secure communications also provides for a periodic re-verification of the registered professional email address, which takes place every 6 months. The purpose of this re-verification is to verify whether you still meet the conditions for access to the services. If the (re)verification cannot be successfully completed, BEAM reserves the right to temporarily suspend or permanently terminate access to the services.

Finally, within the framework of user re-verification, BSC may provide overviews of BEAM government secure communications users to the government agency by which they are (allegedly) employed, in order to verify their status and access conditions.

Without prejudice to the foregoing, the user is under no circumstances permitted to use BEAM government secure communications if they are no longer employed by a government agency in Belgium. The user guarantees and acknowledges that they will use BEAM government secure communications exclusively within the framework of their professional activities as an employee of a government agency in Belgium. In the event of termination of employment with a Belgian government agency, the user is obliged to immediately close their account and cease all further use of BEAM. In case of non-compliance with these obligations, BSC reserves the right to recover all resulting damages from the user, without prejudice to its right to take other appropriate measures.

Directory function – Within BEAM government secure communications, a directory function is offered that allows users to search for and contact other users. The processing of personal data in this context takes place in accordance with the provisions in the privacy statement.

Upon registration, each user chooses how they are discoverable within BEAM government secure communications. The following options are available:

a. Public address book: the user is included in the directory and is searchable based on (part of) their name and/or professional email address. The user's basic profile information is also visible in the directory.

b. Discreet – searchable via email address: the user is not included in the directory but is searchable via their full professional email address. Basic profile information only becomes visible after an invitation is accepted.

c. Hidden: the user is not included in the directory and is not searchable via name or email address. Contact is only possible through manual entry of the unique BeamID.

Inclusion in the directory and the chosen visibility settings are based on the prior consent of the user, which can be adjusted or withdrawn at any time via the settings in BEAM. The user remains responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and updating of their visibility and profile data.

The data available through the directory function may only be used for purposes related to the operation of BEAM and communication between users.

Fair Use Policy

BSC operates a Fair Use Policy for data storage. This means that, in principle, no strict storage limit per user applies. However, if such large volumes of data are uploaded that they interfere with the general service provision or system performance, BSC reserves the right to take measures.

Should your storage usage affect the platform, BSC will always contact you first to seek a suitable solution together before any action is taken.

File size:

Individual files may have a maximum size of 100 MB.

Costs and taxes – BEAM government secure communications is made available to users free of charge. All costs arising from or related to the use of BEAM government secure communications, including – but not limited to – costs charged by the telecom operator (such as costs for data plans and internet usage), are solely the responsibility of the user.

FAQ – For more information, you can also visit our "Frequently Asked Questions" page: BEAM government secure communications – FAQ.

2. Identity and Usernames

BEAM government secure communications allows users to freely choose a username, provided that this choice is subject to the following obligations and safeguards:

a. It is prohibited to choose a username that creates a false or misleading impression regarding the identity, position, or capacity of the user, or that may be inappropriate or confusing to other users.

b. Users must adhere to the BSC guidelines for choosing a username, as set forth in these terms of use.

c. BSC reserves the right to modify or remove usernames that are incorrect, misleading, inappropriate, or confusing, without prior notice or consent.

d. Each user remains exclusively responsible for the accuracy, clarity, and appropriateness of their chosen username.

Should a user suspect that another user is assuming a false capacity or is presenting themselves in a misleading, confusing, or inappropriate manner, this may be reported at any time via abuse@beam.belgium.be. BSC will investigate such reports and may take appropriate measures if warranted.

3. Obligations and responsibilities of users

Users remain fully responsible at all times for verifying, prior to communicating with other users, whether the latter currently possess the required status of an employee of a government agency in Belgium and, where applicable, whether their position and powers are still current and relevant to the purpose of the intended contact.

If a user identifies that a former colleague still has an active account on BEAM government secure communications, they must report this as soon as possible via email to abuse@beam.belgium.be.

Users are expected to use BEAM government secure communications in a diligent and respectful manner, and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including – but not limited to – rules regarding privacy, intellectual property, and criminal law.

Without prejudice to the foregoing, the following specific obligations and prohibitions apply to every user:

Illegal content – Each user undertakes not to create, distribute, or otherwise communicate illegal content via BEAM's systems. This includes, but is not limited to, content that infringes on intellectual property rights, as well as content that incites hatred or violence, or that is discriminatory, for example on the grounds of nationality, alleged race, color, origin, national or ethnic descent, age, sexual orientation, civil status, birth, wealth, religious or philosophical belief, political conviction, trade union conviction, state of health, disability, physical or genetic characteristics, social origin or status, language, gender, or professional status. It is also prohibited to distribute offensive, racist, sexist, intimidating, or otherwise objectionable content.

Harmful content – It is prohibited to create, distribute, or make available harmful content or links to harmful content via BEAM, including – but not limited to – malware, phishing, computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, or other malicious code, with the aim or effect of damaging or infiltrating the security, operation, or privacy of equipment, systems, or persons.

Abuse – The user may under no circumstances attempt to discover, decompile, reconstruct, decrypt, translate, or otherwise derive the source code, algorithms, or underlying data structures of BEAM, in whole or in part. It is also prohibited to grant, rent, sell, lease, distribute, or otherwise transfer the right of access to or use of BEAM to a third party.

Loss of status – As soon as a user loses their status as an employee of a government agency in Belgium, or undergoes a change in role or function, the user is obliged to:

a. In the event of a change in role or function, adjust all profile information, including username, visibility, and associated access rights, so that the current status and function are correctly displayed;

b. Timely transfer any administrative rights or other critical roles within existing conversations to a competent colleague or successor, so that the continuity and correct operation of BEAM and the relevant conversations are not disrupted;

c. In the event of loss of status as an employee of a government agency in Belgium, deactivate the account (without delay) only after completing these steps.

Confidentiality and professional secrecy – Since BEAM government secure communications is an internal professional messaging service of the government, the user acknowledges being subject to the duty of discretion and professional secrecy, as stipulated in Article 10 of the Royal Decree of October 2, 1937, on the Statute of State Personnel, in Article 458 of the Penal Code, as well as in the corresponding provisions of the applicable regional, provincial, and municipal regulations concerning the status of personnel of public administrations, for any use of BEAM government secure communications and for all information exchanged via BEAM government secure communications.

Classified documents – It is prohibited to share classified documents via BEAM. BEAM may only be used to exchange unclassified documents. However, it is permitted to exchange "sensitive – non-classified" information. The electronic transfer of classified documents is subject to the Act of December 11, 1998, regarding the classification of documents and security clearances.

4. Account Security

Access to BEAM is provided via the internet. The user is required to take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect themselves against risks such as hacking, including through the use of a secure and up-to-date configuration of their computer, smartphone, and network environment.

You are solely responsible for the security of your device and your BEAM account, including maintaining the confidentiality of your access credentials. The user is expressly prohibited from making their account, access credentials, or communications available to third parties, in whole or in part, or from allowing third parties to use the account, regardless of the purpose or capacity of such third parties. You are obliged to notify BSC immediately of any (suspected) unauthorized use of your account, as well as any (suspected) security breach related to or potentially impacting BEAM.

Such reports must be made via abuse@beam.belgium.be.

5. Protection of personal data

The processing of personal data of BEAM users is carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 ("GDPR") and the Belgian Act of 30 July 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data.

Further information regarding these processing operations is included in the privacy statement.

6. Intellectual property rights

BEAM, all its components (including the layout), as well as the information and services, are protected by intellectual property and copyright laws.

BSC is the exclusive owner of all intellectual property rights relating to both the structure and the content of the application, unless expressly stated otherwise.

These general terms of use do not grant any intellectual property rights to the user regarding the structure or content of the application and its services.

The user undertakes to ensure that their use of the application in no way infringes upon the rights of BSC or third parties.

Components of the application covered by an "open source" or "free software" license are governed by the terms of the respective licenses. These general terms of use neither restrict nor grant more rights to users than these licenses allow.

All texts, graphic elements, icons, photos, illustrations and, more generally, all parts of the application may not be represented, reproduced, exploited, or extracted, in whole or in part, on any medium whatsoever without the express written consent of BSC.

7. User license

BSC grants the user a free license to use the BEAM government secure communications application, solely for strictly professional and personal use. This license does not extend to commercial use of the application.

"Commercial use" includes, but is not limited to:

• Any benefit or commercial revenue derived from the commercialization of the application or from competitive use;
• Any use of the application with a commercial enterprise and/or a third party, if such use leads to the commercialization of the application.

This license is non-exclusive, revocable at any time, and non-transferable.

8. Warranties

The use of BEAM is entirely at your own risk. BEAM is provided on an "as is" basis, without any express or implied warranty, including, but not limited to, warranties regarding availability, reliability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

Users of BEAM expressly acknowledge and accept that BSC, given the end-to-end encryption of the content of communications, has no access to the content of chat messages, documents, or photos shared via BEAM. The user is solely responsible for taking this limitation into account, including with regard to the preservation and continued availability of information exchanged via BEAM. In the event of loss, deletion, or inaccessibility of such content, BSC cannot restore its availability and cannot provide assistance in this regard.

BSC offers no warranty whatsoever regarding the identity, capacity, or position of other users of BEAM.

BSC does not guarantee that BEAM will function uninterrupted, timely, securely, or error-free, nor that any defects will be corrected. Malfunctions, delays, interruptions, or other imperfections may occur.

BSC has no control over, and bears no responsibility for, the manner in which, the time at which, or the purpose for which users employ BEAM, nor for any use that does not comply with these terms of use.

9. Limitations of Liability

Only in the event of willful misconduct on the part of BSC or when an error affects the life or physical integrity of a person can BSC be held liable for damages resulting from the use of BEAM government secure communications.

The liability of BSC towards the user as a result of a failure by BSC shall in no event give rise to compensation for indirect damages of a financial, commercial, or other nature.

BSC cannot be held liable for direct or indirect damages in cases of force majeure.

The user understands and accepts that BSC cannot be held liable for direct or indirect damages suffered by the user as a result of acts or omissions by third parties and/or acts of the user, including, but not limited to:

• The improper or incorrect use of BEAM by the user;
• Incompatibility between BEAM and the equipment, applications, procedures, or infrastructure of the user or third parties. In the event of a malfunction of, or configuration problems related to the user's device, the user must contact the seller or manufacturer of the device exclusively, and not BSC;
• A security breach originating from the user or a third party, or any security breach that cannot be directly attributed to BEAM.

BSC strives for continuous and optimal availability of BEAM, which is in principle accessible 24/7, but does not guarantee uninterrupted or error-free operation. Temporary limitations, delays, or technical malfunctions may occur, as well as necessary interruptions for support or maintenance. BSC will inform the user thereof in a timely manner where reasonably possible. Unavailability or malfunctions of BEAM do not entitle the user to any form of compensation.

10. Contact point for misuse and other inquiries

BSC has established a contact point where users can report non-professional use or use that violates these terms of use. This contact point can be reached via abuse@beam.belgium.be.

Through this contact point, the responsible department can be contacted electronically. Communication via this contact point is available in Dutch, French, or English.

Any other measures to prevent or limit abuse remain fully applicable.

11. Restriction, suspension, or termination of access to and use of BEAM

Users must use BEAM in accordance with these terms of use and BSC policy. If a user violates these terms of use or BSC policy, BSC may take measures against the user's account, including restricting, suspending, or terminating access to or use of BEAM. If BSC does so, the user agrees not to create another account without the express prior consent of BSC.

BSC reserves the right, including but not limited to, to restrict, suspend, or permanently terminate access to (part of) the BSC services if:

• A user violates applicable laws or regulations;
• A user misuses the service, for example by distributing hate speech, discriminatory, illegal, or harmful content;
• A user's conduct endangers the integrity, security, or operation of BEAM, its systems, or other users;
• BSC is legally obliged to do so or receives a judicial or administrative order;
• A complaint, report, or automated detection gives rise to a reasonable suspicion of a violation of these terms of use.

If the affected user disagrees with a measure taken by BSC, they may lodge an objection within 14 days via the complaints procedure. The user can direct their complaint to complaints@beam.belgium.be.

If a user account remains inactive for a continuous period of twelve (12) months, BSC reserves the right to automatically deactivate the account. Following such removal, the user can no longer claim restoration of the account or the associated data and will need to create a new account to use BEAM again. This removal is carried out in accordance with the retention periods and conditions set forth in the Privacy Statement.

12. Applicable law and competent courts

These terms of use are governed by and interpreted in accordance with Belgian law. All disputes arising out of or in connection with the use of BEAM shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of Brussels, Dutch-speaking division.

13. About Belgian Secure Communications

BEAM is offered by Belgian Secure Communications, a federal government service.

Should you have any questions, you can always contact us:

• Via email: contact@beam.belgium.be

14. Amendment of the general terms of use

These general terms of use are available in Dutch and French and may be amended or supplemented at any time, for example, in view of changes to BEAM, legislative developments, or for other necessary reasons. The amended terms of use will be communicated to the user. By continuing to use BEAM after such notification, the user is deemed to have accepted the new terms of use.