Line (software)
![]() | |
![]() Screenshot featuring the "Line Friends"stickers | |
Developer(s) |
|
---|---|
Initial release | June 23, 2011 |
Stable release(s) | |
Repository | github |
Operating system | |
Platform | Smartphone,PC,iPad,Smartwatch |
Size | |
Available in | 17 languages[4] |
List of languages English, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Arabic, Turkish | |
Type | Instant messaging,Social networking service |
License | Proprietary software |
Website | line |
Lineis afreewareapp and service forinstant messagingandsocial networking,operated by the Japanese companyLY Corporation,co-owned bySoftBank Group.Line was launched in Japan in June 2011 by NHN Japan, a subsidiary ofNaver.[11]
Initially designed fortext messagingandVoIPvoice and video calling, it has gradually expanded to become asuper-appproviding services including adigital wallet(Line Pay), news stream (Line Today),video on demand(Line TV) and digitalcomicdistribution (Line MangaandLine Webtoon).[12]Line became Japan's largestsocial networkin 2013[13]and is used by over 70% of the population as of 2023;[14]it is also popular mainly in Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand.[15][16]
History
[edit]Launch
[edit]Naver had launched a messaging app called Naver Talk for the South Korean market in February 2011.[17]However, rival Korean companyKakaodominated the market with itsKakaoTalkapp, launched in March 2010[11][18]
Naver/NHN co-founder and chairman Lee Hae-Jin and a team of engineers were in Japan when theTōhoku earthquake and tsunamistruck in March 2011.[11][19]The earthquake and tsunami left millions without power and phone lines and SMS networks were overwhelmed.[11]Since Wi-Fi and some 3G remained largely usable, many people turned to KakaoTalk, which was just beginning to gain a foothold in Japan.[11]Lee was inspired to launch a messaging and chat app in the wake of the disaster and his NHN Japan team was testing a beta version of an app accessible on smartphones, tablet and PC, which would work on data network and provide continuous and free instant messaging and calling service,[20]within two months.[11][19]The app was launched as Line in June 2011.[11][19]
Because Naver/NHN had a far superior cultural knowledge of what Japanese users wanted, and a much larger corporate marketing budget, Line quickly surpassed KakaoTalk in Japan.[11]Line also offers free voice calls and, since Japan's telecoms make customers pay for bothSMSsand smartphone calls, this feature, which KakaoTalk did not have, was a major selling point.[11]
2011-2015
[edit]Line experienced an unexpected server overload in October 2011 due to the app's popularity.[21]To improve scalability to accommodate its user growth, NHN Japan choseHBaseas the primary storage for user profiles, contacts and groups.[20]In December 2011, Naver announced that Naver Talk would be merged into Line, effective early 2012.[19][22]
In July 2012,NHN Japanannounced the new Line featuresHomeandTimeline.The features allowed users to share recent personal developments to a community of contacts in real-time, similar to the status updates in social networking services such as Facebook.[23]On April 1, 2013, Naver's Japanese branch name was changed from NHN Japan toLine Corporation.[24]
Because it was tailored to Japanese consumers' tastes and offered free smartphone calls as well as texting, with the help of a massive marketing campaign it quickly outpaced its existing rivalKakaoTalkfor the Japanese market.[11]It reached 100 million users within 18 months and 200 million users six months later.[25]Line gradually replacedcarrier-basedemailas the most popular method of communication in Japan.[26]
Line became Japan's largest social network by the end of 2013, with more than 300 million registrants worldwide, of which more than 50 million users were within Japan.[27][28]In October 2014, Line announced that it had attracted 560 million users worldwide with 170 million active user accounts.[29]In February 2015, it announced the 600 million users mark had been passed and 700 million were expected by the end of the year.[30][31]
Line was originally developed as a mobile application forAndroidandIOSsmartphones. The service has since expanded to:BlackBerry OS(August 2012),[32]Nokia Asha(Asia and Oceania, March 2013),[33][34]Windows Phone(July 2013),[35]Firefox OS(February 2014),[36]iPadOS(October 2014) and as aGoogle Chrome App(via theChrome Web Store). The application also exists in versions for laptop and desktop computers using theMicrosoft WindowsandmacOSplatforms.[citation needed]
2016-present
[edit]![]() | This section is empty.You can help byadding to it.(August 2024) |
Ownership
[edit]In July 2016,Line CorporationheldIPOson both theNew York Stock Exchangeand theTokyo Stock Exchange.[37]
In late December 2020, Line Corporation delisted from both the New York Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Stock Exchange,[38]in advance of its absorption-type merger agreement with Z Holdings.[39] On March 1, 2021,[40]SoftBank Group affiliate andYahoo! JapanoperatorZ Holdingscompleted a merger withLine Corporation.Under the new structure, A Holdings, a subsidiary ofSoftBankCorporation andNaver Corporation,will own 65.3% of Z Holdings, which will operate Line and Yahoo! Japan.[41][40][42][43]
Market share
[edit]By 18 January 2013, Line had been downloaded 100 million times worldwide.[44]The number expanded to 140 million by early July 2013 and to 200 million by July 21.[45]As of June 2016, Japan claimed 68 million users while Thailand had 33 million.[46]As of February 2014, Indonesia had 20 million users, Taiwan 17 million, while India and Spain had 16 million each.[47]In April 2014, Naver announced that Line had reached 400 million worldwide users[48]and by 2017 this had grown to 700 million.[49]
As of 2021 Line had 92 million users in Japan, and a total of 178 million across its four largest markets: Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan and Thailand.[16]In 2023, for the first time, more Japanese seniors preferred to use Line overemailfor communicating.[50]
Features
[edit]Line is an application that works on multiple platforms and has access via multiple personal computer operating systems. Users can also can share photos, videos and music, send the current or any specific: locations, voice audios, emojis, stickers and emoticons to friends. Users can see a real-time confirmation when messages are sent and received or use a hidden chat feature, which can hide and delete a chat history (from both involved devices and Line servers) after a time set by the user.[51]
The application also makes free voice and video calls. Users can also chat and share media in a group by creating and joining groups that have up to 500 people. Chats also provide bulletin boards on which users can post, like and comment. This application also has timeline and homepage features that allow users to post pictures, text and stickers on their homepages. Users can also change their Line theme to the theme Line provides in the theme shop for free or users can buy other famous cartoon characters they like. Line also has a feature, called a Snap movie, that users can use to record a stop-motion video and add in provided background music.
In January 2015,Line Taxiwas released in Tokyo as a competitor toUber.[52][53][54]Line launched a new android app called "Popcorn buzz" in June 2015. The app facilitates group calls with up to 200 members.[55]In June a new Emoji keyboard was also released for IOS devices, which provides a Line-like experience with the possibility to add stickers.[56]In September 2015 a new Android launcher was released on the Google Play Store, helping the company to promote its own services through the new user interface.[57]
Official channels
[edit]Line includes a feature known as "official channels" which allows companies, especially news media outlets, publications and other mass media companies to offer an official channel which users can join and thereby receive regular updates, published articles or news updates from companies or news outlets.[58][59]
Stickers
[edit]Line features a Sticker Shop where users are able to purchasevirtual stickersdepicting original and well-known characters. The stickers are used during chat sessions between users and act as largeemoji.Users can purchase stickers as gifts, with many stickers available as free downloads, depending on country availability. Purchased stickers are attached to an account and can be used on other platforms. New sticker sets are released weekly. Line's message stickers feature original characters as well as a number of popularmanga,animeand gaming characters, movie tie-ins and characters fromDisneyproperties such asPixar.Some sticker sets, such as those that celebrate special events like the 2012 Summer Olympics, are released for only a limited time. Other sticker sets that support charity are known as Charity Stickers. For example, in 2016, Line released "Support Kumamoto" Charity Stickers to provide aid to victims of the2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.All proceeds earned from the sales of these stickers were to be donated to theJapanese Red Cross Societyto provide financial support and aid for the victims.[60]
The original default characters and stickers, known asLine Friends,were created by Kang Byeongmok, also known as "Mogi", in 2011.[61][62]
There are over 1 billion stickers sent by worldwide users on a daily basis.[63]The popular charactersMilk & Mochabegan as stickers on Line in Indonesia.[64]
Games
[edit]NHN Japan created Line Games in 2011. Only those with a Lineapplication accountcan install and play the games. Players can connect with friends, send and accept items and earn friend points. The game range includes: puzzles, match-three, side-scroller, musical performance, simulation, battle and spot-the-difference games. In September 2013, Line Corporation announced its games had been downloaded 200 million times worldwide.[65]
On July 10, 2017, Line Games acquired NextFloor Corporation, developers of Dragon Flight and Destiny Child.[66]On January 5, 2017, Line Games was announced as the publisher for Hundred Soul (formerly known as Project 100) by Hound 13.[67]
On December 12, 2018, Line Games held a media event called LPG (Line Games-Play-Game) to introduce its games for 2019. Mobile games announced include: Exos Heroes (by OOZOO), Ravenix: The Card Master (also by OOZOO), Dark Summoners (by SkeinGlobe), Project PK (by Rock Square) and Super String (by Factorial Games). Project NM by Space Dive was also announced for PC. Games to be released on mobile and PC include: Project NL (by MeerKat Games) and Uncharted Waters Origins (by Line Games andKoei Tecmo).[68]
On 10 Jul 2019,NintendoreleasedDr. Mario Worldco-developed by Line Games.[69]On July 18, 2019, First Summoner developed by SkeinGlobe was released.
Line Pay
[edit]Line introduced Line Pay worldwide on December 16, 2014. The service allows users to request and send money from users in their contact list and make mobile payments in store.[70]The service has since expanded to allow other features such as offline wire transfers when making purchases and ATM transactions like depositing and withdrawing money. Unlike other Line services, Line Pay is offered worldwide through the Line app.
Line Taxi
[edit]Line Taxi was launched in January 2015 in partnership with Nihon Kotsu, a localtaxiservice in Japan.[71]Just like Line Pay, Line Taxi is not offered as a separate app but rather through the Line app where users can request a taxi and automatically pay for it when they connect their account to Line Pay.[72]
Line Wow
[edit]Announced alongside Line Pay and Line Taxi, a service that allows users to instantly access delivery services for registered food or products and services.[73]
Line Today
[edit]A news hub integrated in the Line app.
Line Shopping
[edit]A referral program for online shopping. Customers get extra discount or earn Line Points by purchasing through the Line Shopping service.
Line Gift
[edit]A gift sending services on Line. Customers can send gift via Line.[74]
Line Doctor
[edit]A matching platform for finding doctors online.[74]
Line Lite
[edit]![]() | |
Developer(s) | Line Corporation |
---|---|
Stable release | 2.17.1
/ 2021-09-13[75] |
Repository | |
Operating system | Android |
Size | 8.89MB |
Website | line![]() |
In 2015, a lower-overhead Android app was released foremerging marketscalled Line Lite. This supports messages and calls[76]but not themes or timeline.[77]
It became available worldwide in August 2015.[78]
In January 2022 Line announced the discontinuation of Line Lite, taking effect on the 28th February 2022.
Limitations
[edit]Line accounts can be accessed on only one mobile device (running the app version) or one personal computer (running the version for these). Additional mobile devices can install the app but require different mobile numbers or e-mail addresses for the Line account.[79][80]
If "Line Lite" for Android was installed and activated, the user was told they will be "logged out of the normal Line". This message did not make clear that it was impossible to log back in to the normal Line, which would delete all history data when next launched.[81]Line Lite has now been discontinued.
Security
[edit]In August 2013, it was possible to intercept a Line chat session at the network level using packet capture software and to reconstruct it on a PC. Messages were sent in cleartext to Line's server when on cellular data but encrypted when using Wi-Fi most of the time.[82]
Until February 2016, it was also possible to "clone" an iPhone from a backup and then use the "cloned" iPhone to access the same Line account as used by the original iPhone. This loophole was widely rumored (but never proven) to have been used to intercept Line messages between the popular Japanese television personalityBeckyand her married romantic partnerEnon Kawatani;the intercepted messages were published in the magazineShukan Bunshunand led to the temporary suspension of Becky's television career.[83]
In July 2016, Line Corporation turned onend-to-end encryptionby default for all Line users.[84]It had earlier been available as an opt-in feature since October 2015.[85]The app uses theECDHprotocol for client-to-client encryption.[85]In August 2016, Line expanded its end-to-end encryption to also encompass its group chats, voice calls and video calls.[86]
In March 2021, the Japanese government announced that it would investigate Line after reports that it let Chinese system-maintenance engineers in Shanghai access Japanese users' data without informing them,[87]beginning in August 2018.[88]Four Chinese engineers in aShanghai-based affiliate that Line subcontracted to develop AI accessed the messages stored in the Japanese computer system and personal information of Line users, such as: name, phone number, email address and Line ID.[88]Photos and video footage posted by Japanese users were also stored on a server in South Korea.[89]Line stated in March 2021 that it had since blocked access to user data at the Chinese affiliate[87]and that it would revise its privacy policy and make it more explicit.[88]Line had been used by the Japanese government and local governments to notify residents about developments in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.[88]In response to the reports of security issues, the national government and many local governments halted their usage of Line in late March 2021.[90]In April 2021 the government ordered Line to take measures to properly protect customers' information and to report improvement measures within a month.[89]Line also relocated image and other data stored in South Korea to Japan.[90]As of November 2021, the Tokyo metropolitan government offers proof of COVID-19 vaccinations through the Line app, with expansion planned for other prefectures.[91]
On 12 April 2021, Line suffered a large-scale crash in Taiwan.[92]
More than 70,000 Line Pay users in Taiwan have been affected by a leak of transaction information during the period from December 26, 2020, to April 2, 2021.[93]
In October 2023, the company confirmed a data breach where over 440,000 items of personal data were leaked. This included user age groups, genders, and partial service usage history, along with business partner and employee information like email addresses and names. The leak was traced back to unauthorized access through a Naver subcontractor's computer, which shared an authentication system with Line, allowing the breach.[94]In March 2024, the Japanese government ordered Line and Naver to separate their systems because of the data leak.[95]
Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications issued administrative guidance to LY Corporation twice on April 16 2024.LY Corporation is required to submit another report by The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications before July 1, 2024.[96][97][98]
Censorship
[edit]Line suppressed content in China to conform with governmentcensorship.[99]Analysis byCitizen Labshowed that accounts registered with Chinese phone numbers download a list of banned words that cannot be sent or received through Line.[100]
Line publicly confirmed the practice in December 2013.[101]However, by 2014, access to Line chat servers has been entirely blocked by theGreat Firewall,while the company still makes revenue in China from brick-and-mortar stores.[102][103]
In Indonesia, Line has responded to pressure from theIndonesian Communication and Information Ministryto remove emojis and stickers it believes make reference to homosexuality, for example the emoji "two men holding hands". Line issued a public statement on the issue: "Line regrets the incidents of some stickers which are considered sensitive by many people. We ask for your understanding because at the moment we are working on this issue to remove the stickers".[104]
In Thailand, Line is suspected of responding to pressure from the Thai government and, after previously approving 'Red Buffalo' stickers, which had been used to refer to theRed Shirtspolitical faction, including by the Red Shirts themselves, removed the stickers.[105][106]
In Russia, on 28 April 2017, Russia'sFederal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media(Roskomnadzor) placed Line on a banned list. Telecommunications companies appear to have taken steps in May to progressively block access to Line and other services using smartphones. The Russian Internet Regulation Law obliges social network operators to store personal information of their Russian customers in the country and submit it if requested by the authorities; Line is believed to have been found to be in breach of this provision. According to reports, BBM, Imo.im and Vchat have been newly added to the list of banned services, in addition to Line. On 3 May 2017 access to Line chat servers was entirely blocked by theRoskomnadzorand the Line servers were added to theUnified Register of Banned Sites,after which Russian users began to experience problems receiving and sending messages.[107][108]
Related products
[edit]This sectionneeds additional citations forverification.(April 2021) |
Line Friends
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ec/LINE_Friend_Store_in_Hysan_Place_201510.jpg/220px-LINE_Friend_Store_in_Hysan_Place_201510.jpg)
Line Friendsare featured characters that are shown in stickers of the application. They include Brown, Cony, Sally, James, Moon, Boss, Jessica, Edward, Leonard, Choco, Pangyo and Rangers. Two anime series,Line OfflineandLine Town,were produced in 2013, picturing the Line Friends as employees for the fictional Line Corporation.
Line Man
[edit]On-demand assistant for food and messenger delivery services inBangkok.
Line TV
[edit]A video on demand service operating inTaiwanandThailand.
Stores
[edit]There are physical stores in Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, U.S. and a Korean online store to purchase Line Friends merchandise.[109]Occasionally, Line will have pop-up or temporary stores globally.
See also
[edit]- Comparison of cross-platform instant messaging clients
- Comparison of instant messaging protocols
- Comparison of Internet Relay Chat clients
- Comparison of LAN messengers
- Comparison of VoIP software
- List of SIP software
- List of video telecommunication services and product brands
References
[edit]- ^https:// apkmirror /apk/line-corporation/line/line-13-0-1-release/.
{{cite web}}
:Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^"LINE: Free Calls & Messages - Apps on Google Play".Google Play.
- ^"LINE Version History 13.4.0 Mar 30, 2023".March 30, 2023.RetrievedMarch 31,2023.
- ^ab"LINE".App Store.June 22, 2023.
- ^"LINE: Version 7.14.1.2907 Latest update Mar 23, 2023".March 23, 2023.RetrievedMarch 31,2023.
- ^"Get LINE".Microsoft Store.
- ^"LINE: Version History 7.16.1 Mar 17, 2023".March 17, 2023.RetrievedMarch 31,2023.
- ^"LINE".Mac App Store.May 2, 2023.
- ^"LINE: Additional Information".February 21, 2023.RetrievedMarch 31,2023.
- ^"LINE".Chrome Web Store.
- ^abcdefghijMac, Ryan (March 22, 2015)."How KakaoTalk's Billionaire Creator Ignited A Global Messaging War".Forbes.RetrievedNovember 22,2021.
- ^https:// researchgate.net/publication/342306697_LINE_as_Super_App_Platformization_in_East_Asia[bare URL]
- ^"How Japan's Line App Became a Culture-Changing, Revenue-Generating Phenomenon".February 19, 2015.
- ^"Welcome to Line, Japan's everything app".Rest of World.April 28, 2023.RetrievedAugust 2,2024.
- ^"Mobile Messaging App Map of the World - January 2019".Archived fromthe originalon January 16, 2021.RetrievedFebruary 10,2021.
- ^ab"Line Revenue and Usage Statistics (2024)".Business of Apps.RetrievedAugust 2,2024.
- ^Yoon Ja-young (September 1, 2011)."Talk ain't cheap".The Korea Times.RetrievedNovember 22,2021.
- ^Seo Ji-eun (March 12, 2012)."Kakao Talk sees users quintuple from 2011".Korea JoongAng Daily.RetrievedNovember 22,2021.
- ^abcd"네이버, 네이버톡 접고 라인에 올인".Korea Economic Daily.December 15, 2011.RetrievedNovember 2,2019.
- ^abEsen Sagynov (2012)."The Story behind LINE App Development".CUBRID.org.Archived fromthe originalon August 16, 2013.RetrievedJuly 8,2013.
- ^"Naver LINE App is Back Online in App store".My Phone Daily.WordPress. November 1, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon May 20, 2013.RetrievedJuly 8,2013.
- ^"네이버 talk".desk.talk.naver.RetrievedNovember 2,2019.
- ^Dr. Serkan Toto (July 4, 2012)."Line App Gets More Social With" Home "And" Timeline "Features [Social Networks]".Dr. Serkan Toto - Japan Mobile And Social Games Consulting.RetrievedJuly 8,2013.
- ^"【LINE】 hiệu buôn 変 càng に quan するお biết らせ/Information regarding Changes to Company Name"(press release).Line Corporation.April 1, 2013.RetrievedNovember 22,2021.
- ^"Line Hits 200 Million Users, Adding 100 Million in Just 6 Months".Tech In Asia.July 23, 2013.RetrievedJuly 24,2013.
- ^"なぜ? LINEからも trốn げ ra し thủy めた nếu giả たち".Đọc bán tin tức オンライン(in Japanese). January 18, 2018.RetrievedAugust 2,2024.
- ^Akky Akimoto, 2013-12-17,Looking at 2013′s Japanese social-media scene,The Japan Times
- ^"Line messaging app doubles size in seven months, has 300 million users".November 25, 2013.RetrievedNovember 25,2013.
- ^Horwitz, Josh (October 9, 2014)."LINE finally reveals it has 170 million monthly active users".
- ^"Number of LINE users to top 700 mil. this year".Korea Times. February 8, 2015.RetrievedAugust 16,2016.
- ^"Number of Line users to top 700 mil. this year".Korea Times. February 8, 2015.RetrievedAugust 16,2016.
- ^"Line is Now Available for BlackBerry!".Line Official Blog.Line Global. August 17, 2012. Archived fromthe originalon June 28, 2013.RetrievedJuly 8,2013.
- ^"Line for Nokia 'Asha' Device Scheduled to be released in March 2013!".Line Official Blog.Line Global. February 26, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon September 3, 2013.RetrievedJuly 8,2013.
- ^Steven Millward (February 26, 2013)."Line App to Hit Nokia Asha Phones in March, Keen to Chat Up Emerging Markets".Tech In Asia.RetrievedJuly 8,2013.
- ^Rick Martin (June 13, 2012)."NHN Japan Launches Popular LINE App for Windows Phone".Yahoo! Sports.Yahoo! Inc.RetrievedJuly 8,2013.
- ^Scott DeVaney (February 4, 2014)."Line Lands on Firefox Marketplace".Mozilla Apps Blog.Mozilla Foundation. Archived fromthe originalon October 11, 2014.RetrievedMarch 4,2014.
- ^Fiegerman, Seth (July 13, 2016)."Line goes public: what you need to know about the year's biggest tech IPO".CNN Business.RetrievedNovember 23,2021.
- ^"Announcement Regarding the Delisting of the Common Shares of LINE Corporation from the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Delisting of the American Depositary Shares from the New York Stock Exchange"(PDF).Line Corporation.December 28, 2020.RetrievedNovember 23,2021.
- ^"Form 6-K".U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.Line Corporation. December 2020.RetrievedNovember 23,2021.
- ^ab"Yahoo Japan operator, Line merge to take on foreign tech giants".Kyodo News.March 1, 2021.RetrievedNovember 9,2021.
- ^"SoftBank unit to invest $4.7bn in Yahoo-Line integration".Nikkei Asia.RetrievedMarch 9,2021.
- ^Masuda, Yoko (March 1, 2021)."Yahoo Japan, Line integrate businesses to be major '3rd force'".The Asahi Shimbun.RetrievedNovember 9,2021.
- ^Eun-Soo, Jin (March 1, 2021)."Naver and SoftBank's A Holdings joint venture established".Korea JoongAng Daily.RetrievedNovember 9,2021.
- ^Josh Robert Nay (January 19, 2013)."Line VoIP and Messaging App Now Has More Than 100 Million Users".TruTower.RetrievedJuly 8,2013.
- ^"Line exceeds 200 million users worldwide!".July 23, 2013. Archived fromthe originalon March 1, 2014.RetrievedJuly 23,2013.
- ^"Line to raise $1bn in IPO".Bangkok Post.June 11, 2016.RetrievedJune 11,2016.
- ^"Number of registered Line app users in selected countries as of February 2014 (in millions)".statista.
- ^"Line app tops 500 million users".China Post.April 3, 2014.RetrievedApril 3,2014.
- ^"Line Revenue and Usage Statistics (2017) - Business of Apps".Business of Apps.RetrievedNovember 30,2018.
- ^"Japan seniors use Line messaging app more than email to stay in touch: survey".Mainichi Daily News.August 29, 2023.RetrievedAugust 2,2024.
- ^Jon Russel (July 22, 2014)."Messaging app Line gets serious about privacy with Telegram-inspired 'hidden chat' feature".TheNextWeb.RetrievedNovember 24,2014.
- ^Vincent, James (January 8, 2015)."Japanese messaging app Line has launched a taxi service in Tokyo".The Verge.RetrievedSeptember 3,2015.
- ^Cohen, Dave (January 6, 2015)."Line Taxi launches, gives Uber first major challenger in Japan".Tech In Asia.RetrievedSeptember 3,2015.
- ^Kosoff, Maya (January 8, 2015)."This Japanese Messaging App Is Launching Its Own Taxi Service To Take On Uber".Business Insider.RetrievedSeptember 3,2015.
- ^"Popcorn Buzz app launched by Line. Can do group call".June 5, 2015.
- ^Russell, Jon (June 17, 2015)."Line Takes Aims At The U.S. Market With An Emoji Keyboard App For iOS".
- ^Russell, Jon (September 2015)."Messaging Firm Line Introduces A Launcher App For Android Devices".
- ^Ultimate Guide to LINE for Business (Aug 2020)By Serene Tan, online overview article.
- ^Getting started with the Messaging API,Official Line guide, official website, accessed February 15, 2021.
- ^"LINE Releases Charity Stickers 'Support Kumamoto' Worldwide to Aid Victims of Kumamoto Earthquakes"(Press release). April 18, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 8,2023.
- ^"스마트 폰 속 이모티콘, 세상 밖으로".시사매거진 바이트.Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2017.RetrievedApril 28,2017.
- ^"'라인(LINE)'은 일본 chế 일까 한국 chế 일까 ".프레스맨(in Korean). July 5, 2016.RetrievedApril 28,2017.
- ^"Taiwan market has great potential for Line".ZDNet.November 27, 2013.RetrievedDecember 10,2013.
- ^(15 July 2019).Milk & Mocha, Stiker Karya Kreator Surabaya Ini Diluncurkan di Thailand dan Taiwan,iniSURABAYA(in Indonesian)
- ^"【2 trăm triệu DL kỷ niệm! 】9/13からLINE の ゲームが続々キャンペーン thật thi!".Livedoor(in Japanese). September 13, 2013.RetrievedSeptember 22,2018.
- ^"LINE: Establishes LINE GAMES, Acquires NextFloor".MarketScreener.July 10, 2017.RetrievedAugust 3,2019.
- ^cinderboy (January 5, 2017)."Hundred Soul – Gorgeous action mobile RPG finds publisher".MMO Culture.RetrievedAugust 3,2019.
- ^cinderboy (December 12, 2018)."LINE Games – Publisher reveals several new mobile and PC games for global market".MMO Culture.RetrievedAugust 3,2019.
- ^"'Dr. Mario World' from Nintendo and LINE Has Released a Day Early on the App Store ".TouchArcade.July 9, 2019.RetrievedAugust 3,2019.
- ^"Now it's official. Line Pay is here and it's worldwide (and has an iOS bug)".Tech in Asia.RetrievedFebruary 28,2018.
- ^"Line Launches A Taxi Booking Service In Japan Because Chat Apps Have Become Platforms".TechCrunch. January 8, 2015.RetrievedFebruary 28,2018.
- ^"Line Taxi launches, gives Uber first major challenger in Japan".Tech in Asia.RetrievedFebruary 28,2018.
- ^"Messaging giant Line to launch mobile payment service in Japan".ZDNet.RetrievedFebruary 28,2018.
- ^ab"LINE - The Biggest Messaging Platform in Japan=CoDigital, inc".RetrievedAugust 16,2022.
- ^"LINE Lite: Free Calls & Messages APKs - APKMirror".APKMirror.
- ^"LINE Lite: Free Calls & Messages - Apps on Google Play".
- ^"Line Launches Lightweight Version of Its Chat App for Emerging Market Android Phones".July 23, 2015.
- ^"LINE Lite, New Streamlined Version of LINE, Available Almost Everywhere Worldwide!".August 18, 2015.
- ^"FAQ: Can I use the same Line account from multiple devices?".RetrievedDecember 30,2013.
- ^"Help Center - LINE".help.line.me.
- ^"Unable to use device. It looks like you are using this account on another device. All your LINE data on this device will be deleted." and only anOK buttonis presented.
- ^Sambandaraksa, Don (August 28, 2013)."LINE vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attack".Telecomasia.net.Archived fromthe originalon January 6, 2018.RetrievedApril 29,2015.
- ^"LINE" trộm み thấy "に đối sách “クローンiPhone” không có khả năng に ".ITmedia News.February 22, 2016.RetrievedMay 30,2016.
- ^Sawers, Paul (June 30, 2016)."Ahead of IPO, mobile messaging giant Line introduces end-to-end encryption by default".VentureBeat.RetrievedJuly 15,2016.
- ^abJI (October 13, 2015)."New generation of safe messaging:" Letter Sealing "".LINE Engineers' Blog.LINE Corporation. Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2016.RetrievedJuly 15,2016.
- ^Shin, Ki Bin (August 11, 2016)."The next step for even safer messaging: Letter Sealing".Line Corporation. Archived fromthe originalon October 2, 2016.RetrievedSeptember 30,2016.
- ^ab"Japan to probe Line after reports it let Chinese engineers access user data".Reuters.March 17, 2021.RetrievedMarch 17,2021.
- ^abcdMinemura, Kenji; Obu, Toshiya (March 17, 2021)."Personal data of millions of Line users accessed by affiliate in China".The Asahi Shimbun.RetrievedNovember 12,2021.
- ^ab"Japan gov't warns Line over insufficient personal data protection".Kyodo News.April 26, 2021.RetrievedNovember 19,2021.
- ^abMichinaga, Tatsuya; Goto, Tsuyoshi; Matsukura, Yusuke (March 24, 2021)."Japan gov't, many local bodies halt use of Line app following data breach".The Mainichi.RetrievedNovember 19,2021.
- ^Karube, Rihito (November 2, 2021)."Tokyo offers proof of COVID-19 vaccinations through Line app".The Asahi Shimbun.RetrievedNovember 19,2021.
- ^News, Taiwan (April 12, 2021)."LINE crashes in Taiwan | Taiwan News | 2021/04/12".Taiwan News.RetrievedApril 27,2021.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^"Over 70,000 LINE Pay users in Taiwan affected by data leak - Focus Taiwan".focustaiwan.tw(in Chinese). December 7, 2021.RetrievedDecember 7,2021.
- ^"Line operator says some 440,000 items of personal data leaked".The Japan Times.November 27, 2023.RetrievedMarch 6,2024.
- ^Sharwood, Simon (March 6, 2024)."Japan orders LINE and NAVER to disentangle their tech".The Register.RetrievedMarch 6,2024.
- ^"Line Operator Gets Administrative Guidance Again".2024-04-17.
- ^"Line Operator Gets Administrative Guidance Again".2024-04-16.
- ^"Japanese government rejects Yahoo! infosec improvement plan".2024-04-17.
- ^Hardy, Seth (November 14, 2013)."Asia Chats: Investigating Regionally-based Keyword Censorship in LINE".RetrievedNovember 4,2014.
- ^Ng, Jason Q.; Crete-Nishihata, Masashi; Hardy, Seth; Dalek, Jakub; Senft, Adam (April 30, 2014)."Asia Chats: LINE Censored Keywords Update".RetrievedNovember 4,2014.
- ^Crete-Nishihata, Masashi; Hardy, Seth; Ng, Jason Q.; Dalek, Jakub; Senft, Adam (December 6, 2013)."Asia Chats: LINE Corporation Responds".RetrievedNovember 4,2014.
LINE had to conform to local regulations during its expansion into mainland China, and as a result the Chinese version of Line, "Lianwo", was developed. The details of the system are kept private, and there are no plans to release them to the public.
- ^"Chat apps hit by China disruption".BBC News.July 4, 2014.
- ^Horwitz, Josh (August 3, 2015)."One year after the government banned it, Line is still in China—selling lattes".Quartz.
- ^"Indonesia bans 'gay' emojis on messaging apps".ABC News.February 12, 2016.RetrievedFebruary 12,2016.
- ^"New Thai buffalo stickers for LINE".2Bangkok.November 11, 2014. Archived fromthe originalon August 3, 2020.RetrievedMay 30,2020.
- ^"Red buffalo sticker banned".Bangkok Post.RetrievedMay 30,2020.
- ^"Đương cục がLINE cấm!! Thông tín tình báo cung cấp せず処 phân".May 6, 2017. Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2020.RetrievedOctober 15,2020.
- ^"“LINE” が cấp に sử えなくなったロシア の sự tình ".May 8, 2017.RetrievedAugust 4,2022.
- ^"LINE FRIENDS".store.linefriends.