Privacy and Personal Data Protection Policy

1. Introduction

The General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre is committed to respecting the privacy of users of its website, lrc.gov.lb, and to protecting personal data collected or processed through the website and its associated electronic services.

This Policy aims to explain the types of information that may be collected, the purposes for which such information may be used, how it is protected, the entities with which information may be shared, and the rights of data subjects in accordance with applicable Lebanese laws and regulations, particularly Law No. 81 dated 10 October 2018 concerning Electronic Transactions and Personal Data.

By using the website or any of its electronic services, the user acknowledges having reviewed this Policy, to the extent permitted by law.

2. Data Controller

The General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre — Lebanese Ministry of Finance is the entity responsible for processing personal data collected through the website, within the scope of its legal and administrative authority.

3. Data That May Be Collected

Depending on the service used by the visitor, certain data may be collected or processed, including:

A. Data Provided Directly by the User

Depending on the nature of the service, this may include:

• Name;
• Telephone number;
• Email address;
• Address;
• Information relating to a transaction;
• Information required to follow up on a transaction;
• Information entered in complaint or contact forms;
• Any other information the user chooses to provide through the electronic services.

Data is requested only to the extent necessary to provide the service, process the request, or perform the Directorate's legal and administrative duties.

B. Data Relating to Real Estate Transactions

Certain electronic services may involve data relating to a property or real estate transaction, including information required to inquire about a property record, follow up on a transaction, calculate fees, or use other services provided by the Directorate.

Such data is subject to the applicable legal and regulatory provisions governing land records and personal data.

C. Technical Data

When visiting the website, certain technical information may be recorded automatically, such as:

• Internet Protocol (IP) address;
• Date and time of access;
• Pages or services visited;
• Browser type and operating system;
• Technical information relating to the device and connection;
• Error logs and security event logs.

Where collected, this information is used to operate, maintain, secure, and improve the performance of the website and to detect attempted misuse or cyberattacks.

4. Purposes of Data Processing

Personal data is processed for legitimate purposes related to the Directorate's functions, including:

1. Providing electronic services to citizens and users.
2. Processing and following up on real estate transactions.
3. Enabling users to inquire about the status of their transactions.
4. Providing inquiry services relating to land records within the limits permitted by law.
5. Processing complaints and contact requests.
6. Calculating fees and providing services related to transactions.
7. Verifying information where necessary.
8. Protecting the website and electronic service systems against unauthorized or unlawful use.
9. Improving the quality of electronic services.
10. Preparing statistics and administrative reports where permitted by law.
11. Fulfilling the Directorate's legal and regulatory obligations.

The Directorate is committed to ensuring that personal data is processed for the stated purposes and is not used for purposes incompatible with them, except where permitted by law.

5. Legal Basis for Data Processing

Personal data is processed pursuant to applicable Lebanese laws and regulations, particularly:

• Law No. 81 dated 10 October 2018 concerning Electronic Transactions and Personal Data;
• Laws and regulations governing land records and real estate transactions;
• Laws and regulations governing the activities of public administrations and institutions;
• Any other legal or regulatory provision requiring or permitting the Directorate to collect or process data.

Law No. 81/2018 provides, among other matters, that personal data must be collected for legitimate, specific, and explicit purposes and that the data must be relevant to the stated purposes. It also establishes data subjects' rights relating to access, rectification, and objection, subject to the conditions provided by law.

6. Required and Optional Data

Certain data may be necessary to provide a particular service or process a transaction.

In such cases, the required information will be identified within the relevant service form. Failure to provide required information may prevent the Directorate from providing the service or processing the request.

Information that is not necessary for providing the service will be handled according to its nature, the purpose for which it is collected, and applicable laws and regulations.

7. Data Sharing and Disclosure

The Directorate does not sell, rent, or use personal data for commercial purposes.

Data may be disclosed or made available to competent entities where permitted or required by law, including:

• Competent public administrations and institutions;
• Competent judicial or regulatory authorities;
• Official entities legally authorized to request information;
• Technical service providers acting on behalf of the Directorate, where applicable and only to the extent necessary to provide the relevant service and protect the data;
• Any other entity where disclosure is required or permitted by law.

Personal data will not be disclosed to entities that are not authorized to access it.

8. Land Records and Publicly Available Information

The Directorate provides certain information and services relating to land records within the framework of its legally assigned duties and authority.

Certain land records or real estate information may be available for inspection in accordance with the laws and regulations governing land records and rights of access to information.

The publication or availability of information on the website does not mean that such information may be used, republished, or otherwise processed for purposes beyond those permitted by law.

9. Data Protection and Security

The Directorate takes appropriate technical and organizational measures, taking into consideration available resources, the nature of the data, and the risks associated with its processing, to protect personal data against:

• Unauthorized access;
• Unlawful use;
• Unauthorized alteration or destruction;
• Unauthorized disclosure;
• Loss of data.

Depending on the service, these measures may include access controls, management of user privileges, security event logging, backups, and technical safeguards for networks and systems.

No electronic system can guarantee absolute protection against all security risks. However, the Directorate works to implement appropriate measures to reduce such risks.

10. Data Retention

The Directorate retains personal data for the period necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, for the period required under applicable laws and regulations, or in accordance with the applicable retention periods for official records and transactions.

Following the expiration of the applicable legal or administrative retention period, the data will be handled in accordance with the Directorate's established procedures and applicable laws and regulations.

11. Cookies

The website may use cookies or similar technologies to improve website functionality, provide certain electronic services, and enhance the user experience.

Some cookies may be necessary for certain website functions, while others may be used for technical or statistical purposes according to the website's configuration.

Users may control cookies through their browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of some features of the website.

12. External Services and Links

The website may contain links to websites or services operated by other entities.

When users access an external website, their use of that website is subject to the privacy policy and terms of use of the entity operating it.

The Directorate is not responsible for the privacy policies or data protection practices of external websites that it does not operate.

13. Rights of the Data Subject

In accordance with applicable legal provisions, and subject to the limits, conditions, and exceptions established by law, data subjects have rights relating to their personal data, including the right to:

• Inquire whether their personal data is being processed;
• Request access to personal data relating to them;
• Request correction of inaccurate data;
• Request the updating or completion of data where appropriate;
• Object to certain processing activities where permitted by law;
• Obtain information concerning the purposes and nature of processing and the entities that may have access to the data, in accordance with the law.

Such requests shall be submitted in accordance with the official procedures and channels established by the Directorate and applicable laws and regulations.

14. How to Submit a Personal Data Request

A data subject may submit a request concerning their personal data through the following channels:

The Directorate may request appropriate information or documentation to verify the identity of the person submitting the request before acting upon it, in order to protect personal data and prevent its disclosure to unauthorized persons.

Requests will be processed in accordance with the time limits, procedures, and exceptions established under applicable laws and regulations.

15. Complaints

Users may submit a complaint or comment through the complaints service available on the Directorate's website.

The complaint form may require information such as the user's name, address, telephone number, email address, and the subject of the complaint, as reflected in the website's current electronic complaint form.

This information is used to process and follow up on the complaint and to communicate with the person submitting it, within the scope of the Directorate's authority.

16. Accuracy of Information

Users are required to provide accurate, correct, and complete information when using electronic services.

The Directorate reserves the right to request documents or information necessary to verify submitted data where appropriate, in accordance with applicable laws and procedures.

17. Privacy of Minors

The website's electronic services are not intended to collect children's or minors' data for commercial or marketing purposes.

Where an official transaction requires information relating to a minor, such information will be processed for the legal and administrative purposes of the transaction and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

18. Changes to this Privacy Policy

The Directorate may update this Policy when necessary, particularly in the event of:

• The introduction of new electronic services;
• Technical changes to the website;
• Changes in data processing methods;
• The enactment of new laws or regulations;
• Updates to data protection procedures.

The updated version will be published on this page together with the date of the latest update.

19. Applicable Law

This Policy and its interpretation are governed by the applicable laws of the Lebanese Republic, particularly the laws and regulations concerning electronic transactions, the protection of personal data, land records, and the operation of public administrations.

20. Contact Us

For inquiries concerning this Privacy Policy or the protection of personal data, please contact: