■ Provides information such as requests from law enforcement agencies and a breakdown of publicy disclosed data
■ Updates ongoing initiatives to further increase transparency
TOKYO – May 26, 2021 – LINE Corporation ("LINE") today released an addendum to the LINE Transparency Report for the period between July and December 2020, under the section titled "User Information Disclosure/Deletion Requests From Law Enforcement.”
First published for the period between July and December 2016, LINE has since regularly released the LINE Transparency Report. The latest report provides information such as the number of information disclosure requests LINE had received from law enforcement during the period, and how many of these cases the company had complied with.
From July to December 2020, LINE had received 2,100 requests from law enforcement agencies around the world—an increase of 15% from the previous six-month period. Information was disclosed in 1,572 requests, representing a 75% disclosure rate and a 20% increase over the previous period. Out of the 1,572 requests in which information was disclosed, 1,384 involved the LINE app—up 20% from the 1,157 requests handled in the previous period. For more details, including a breakdown of disclosed data, disclosure requests by country, and services included in the report, please read the full report at the link below.
User Information Disclosure/Deletion Requests from Law Enforcement (July to December 2020): https://linecorp.com/en/security/transparency/2020h2
LINE's stance on law enforcement requests for user information disclosure and deletion
Like other internet service providers, LINE receives requests from law enforcement around the world to disclose information necessary for solving criminal cases. The company does not cooperate with unilateral government activities to exploit information—such as eavesdropping or censorship—in any way.
However, under exceptional circumstances where the LINE app was used in a murder, assault, fraud or other criminal case, or when a bomb, murder, or kidnapping threat was made through the app, LINE will comply with requests in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, while strictly adhering to its own internal regulations and procedures. As the provider and operator of a platform with approximately 187 million monthly active users globally*, we believe it is our responsibility to cooperate in efforts to arrest suspects, alleviate damages, save human lives, and prevent crimes that involve the LINE app.
Furthermore, LINE's Privacy Policy states that personal data will be disclosed to the police, courts, or other law enforcement agencies and third parties in accordance with applicable laws when the company receives a request based on legal procedures, including a warrant, or when there is imminent danger to a life or property (such as a suicide or bomb threat).
At the same time, excessive information disclosure requests from law enforcement to internet service providers may also threaten user privacy. This is why the company believes that clarifying its stance on information disclosure requests from law enforcement and being transparent about how often it receives and responds to such requests are essential in ensuring a safe and secure environment for its users. For details on the company’s response to law enforcement agencies, please refer to the article below.
Responding to Law Enforcement Agencies: https://linecorp.com/en/security/article/35
Going forward, LINE will regularly update its LINE Transparency Report in our continued effort to increase corporate transparency and provide users with peace of mind.
* As of the end of March 2021