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About the collection of information related to URLs accessed by users via the LINE app

We only collect URL access information from users consenting to Regarding Usage of Your Information. We collect the information in the following manner, with consideration for user privacy.

For URLs that open LINE features:

• URLs used when opening LINE features may include user-specific information, but we only obtain the part of the URL that all users opening the same feature share. We do not obtain the part that is variable for each user.

• We collect the information without linking it to the accessing user's information.

For other URLs:

• We collect the accessed site's domain name and the one-way encrypted (hashed) variable part of the URL.

• We collect the information without linking it to the accessing user's information.

It's very difficult to obtain an original URL from its hash. We make calculations (e.g. for our access ranking) by hashing the URLs of widely used public sites in the same manner and calculating access numbers for URLs with matching values. We do not convert other hashed URL information to the original URLs.

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What new personal information will LINE acquire?

The following information will be acquired.

Information about chats between friends

This includes which friends were in the chat room, the date and time of sent/received messages, "Read" marks, data formats used, and information on the use of features (such as the use of the "unsend" feature and accessed URLs).

Please be assured that the content of your chat messages (including images and videos) and calls will NOT be used.

Chats with official accounts

This means communication in chat rooms, including chat content (text messages, images, and videos). However, the content of chats with accounts used for industries which are deemed by LINE as having a high possibility of containing sensitive information (personal information or other information of a private nature) will be exempt. This includes industries such as financial and political institutions, state institutions, and hospitals.

Use of the app, including LINE's in-app browser, save feature, and sharing

If the features for saving and sharing data are used, information including the data formats and when the data was viewed will be acquired.

Website browsing information

This includes information pertaining to URLs you have viewed and the source information of the URLs accessed via the LINE app.

We aim to use the above mentioned information to bring all of our users an even better experience when using LINE’s services. For more information, see here.

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Changing your consent settings for providing data

About personalized ads

About the "Regarding Usage of Your Information" consent screen

We're asking users to agree to updates regarding the usage of their personal information and our Privacy Policy. These updates will help improve the level of service provided to LINE users.

For more information on the changes to both our Privacy Policy and the usage of your information, please refer to the following links.

Privacy Policy

Regarding Usage of Your Information

By agreeing to the policies regarding the use of your information, it will lead to further service improvements that we can offer our users. We appreciate your cooperation in agreeing to these policies.

By agreeing to share your information, we are specifically looking to improve our services in the following ways.

Prevent abuse and other fraudulent use of LINE services and features

We hope to improve countermeasures against activity such as harassment, spam, and account theft.

Improve services through continued research and development

This research will lead to improvements to AI services and reviewing screen layouts and designs in pursuit of improving user-friendliness.

Display more personalized content to users

By consenting, it may be possible to show content and advertisements that are of more interest to each user.

We'll keep doing everything we can to provide the most convenient and secure experience possible with LINE, and will continue making improvements based on user feedback. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

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The "External app access" setting

When your friends on LINE use external apps (e.g. apps offered by companies other than LY Corporation), those apps ask LINE whether it can access your profile information. The External app access setting lets you allow or deny such access.

Note: Your profile information includes your LINE display name, profile photo, status message, and uniquely assigned internal identifier (a unique number that LINE gives each user).

If you enable this setting, external apps will be able to access your LINE profile information, which is used in the friend requests and display of names in rankings for those apps.

For your reference, LINE Games and other LINE services can access your profile information regardless of your External app access setting.

For more information, see the LY Corporation Privacy Policy.

To change the External app access setting:

1. From the Home tab, tap Settings > Privacy.

2. Tap External app access.

Depending on which option you choose, the following settings will apply.

Always allowed

Access to your profile information is always allowed to external apps.

Only for mutual LINE friends

Access to your profile information is only allowed to external apps used by your mutual friends on LINE.

Never allowed

Access to your profile information is never allowed.

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Information used by LINE

About the collection of information related to URLs accessed by users via the LINE app

What new personal information will LINE acquire?

Changing your consent settings for providing data

About personalized ads

About the "Regarding Usage of Your Information" consent screen

The "External app access" setting