{"id":109767,"date":"2021-03-17T10:30:59","date_gmt":"2021-03-17T10:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/?p=109767"},"modified":"2021-03-17T10:30:59","modified_gmt":"2021-03-17T10:30:59","slug":"japan-to-probe-line-after-reports-it-let-chinese-engineers-access-user-data","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/japan-to-probe-line-after-reports-it-let-chinese-engineers-access-user-data\/","title":{"rendered":"Japan to probe Line after reports it let Chinese engineers access user data"},"content":{"rendered":"

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan\u2019s government said on Wedneseday it would investigate messaging app Line, owned by SoftBank Corp\u2019s Z Holdings Corp, after Japanese media reports that it let Chinese engineers at a Shanghai affiliate access Japanese users\u2019 data without informing them.<\/p>

FILE PHOTO: The logo of free messaging app Line is pictured on a smartphone in this photo illustration taken in Tokyo, Japan September 23, 2014. REUTERS\/Toru Hanai<\/figcaption>

Under Japanese privacy regulations, companies have to let users know when their personal data is sent overseas, public broadcaster pubic broadcaster NHK and other local media reported earlier.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t say yet if Line breached regulations or not, and we are conducting an investigation to find out,\u201d a government official responsible for overseeing privacy regulations told Reuters. If Line is found to have acted improperly then the Cabinet Office can direct it to make improvements, he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere hasn\u2019t been anything that breached legal or regulatory boundaries,\u201d a spokesman for Line said.\u201d We will continue to respond to laws and regulations in all jurisdictions, including Japan.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a statement posted later on its website, the company apologized for causing any concern and for not adequately explaining policies regarding data management to users. No inappropriate access occurred, it added.<\/p>\n

Four engineers at a company in China, who perform system maintenance for Line, were allowed to access servers in Japan from 2018 that contained the names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of users, local media said.<\/p>\n

The reports come as Japan tightens laws and regulation around the use and storage of personal data held by internet companies.<\/p>\n

Line, which has 186 million users worldwide – of which just under half are in Japan – has since blocked access to user data at the Chinese affiliate, the company spokesman said.<\/p>\n

Line this month became part of Z Holdings, formerly Yahoo Japan, creating a $30 billion domestic internet heavyweight to compete against local and U.S. rivals.<\/p>\n

Messages sent via Line can only be read by the sender and receiver as the app, like other messaging apps, encrypts message content end to end.<\/p>\n

Z Holdings is controlled by SoftBank Corp through holding company A Holdings, which is jointly owned by SoftBank Corp and South Korea\u2019s Naver Corp, the former operator of Line.<\/p>\n

Z Holdings, which plans to invest 500 billion yen ($4.58 billion) in technology over the next five years, announced the Line tie-up last year but was forced to delay the move from October because of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n

Line has expanded its business into cashless payment and more recently telemedicine.<\/p>\n

Shares of Z Holdings, which also controls fashion retailer Zozo Inc and office supplies firm Askul Corp, dipped 1.1% to 611 yen, compared with the Tokyo exchange\u2019s TOPIX index which was flat.<\/p>\n

($1 = 109.1500 yen)<\/p>\n

(This story removes redundant word from headline)<\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan\u2019s government said on Wedneseday it would investigate messaging app Line, owned by SoftBank Corp\u2019s Z Holdings Corp, after Japanese media reports […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":109766,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nJapan to probe Line after reports it let Chinese engineers access user data - Fin2me<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/japan-to-probe-line-after-reports-it-let-chinese-engineers-access-user-data\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Japan to probe Line after reports it let Chinese engineers access user data - Fin2me\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan\u2019s government said on Wedneseday it would investigate messaging app Line, owned by SoftBank Corp\u2019s Z Holdings Corp, after Japanese media reports [...]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/japan-to-probe-line-after-reports-it-let-chinese-engineers-access-user-data\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fin2me\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-03-17T10:30:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mark\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/cnewsfotor146.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Mark\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/japan-to-probe-line-after-reports-it-let-chinese-engineers-access-user-data\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fin2me.com\/markets\/japan-to-probe-line-after-reports-it-let-chinese-engineers-access-user-data\/\",\"name\":\"Japan to probe Line after reports it let Chinese engineers access user data - 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