LINE's Philosophy

How our MISSION, VISION, LINE STYLE, and LINE CODE come together

We ask that all members of the LINE Group conduct themselves in accordance with the
LINE STYLE and LINE CODE in order to achieve our MISSION and VISION.
Below, you can see how our MISSION, VISION, the LINE STYLE, and the LINE CODE come together.

  • MISSION

    CLOSING THE DISTANCE

    Our mission is to bring people,
    information and services closer together.

    LINE was conceived as a mobile messaging service shortly after the massive earthquake that devastated Japan on March 11, 2011.

    After the tragedy, it became apparent that there was a fundamental need for a global communication tool that could strengthen human relationships. Just a few months later in June, we launched the LINE messaging app.

    With this approach, LINE has grown into a social platform with hundreds of millions users worldwide, having a particularly strong focus in the rapidly advancing continent of Asia.

    Rather than settle for globally standardized services based on a generic approach, we believe that it is essential to respect the culture and norm of each individual country in order to engage users on a very deep level and evolve in each region.

    We call it culturalization and it’s at the heart of everything we do. In the world we strive to create, users will have seamless online and offline access to all the people, information and services they need in their daily lives – LINE is the gateway.

    Our journey to evolve into a Smart Portal will continue, as we will meet all needs that our users face in a constantly changing mobile universe.

    LINE is your daily life companion – Engaging the world with you.

  • VISION

    Life on LINE

    Our vision is to become the “life infrastructure” for our users, always ready to fulfill their needs,
    24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

    After beginning as a messenger app, we broadened LINE's range of services and transformed into a smart portal, bringing day-to-day convenience to users through the connection of people, information, and services.

    Now, we’ve evolved into a new stage, becoming the “life infrastructure” that supports all aspects of users’ lives. In addition, we are leveraging Fintech and AI technologies to blur the line between online and offline, creating new and highly personalized experiences for each and every person. We are determined to go beyond the bounds of a messaging service and evolve into a platform that can be a constant companion to our users.

    LINE—always at your side.

LINE is a company which dreams of the best services in the world, and boldly responds to any and all challenges along the way.

Every top service we dream of has one big thing in common: the WOW factor.
They all create WOWs – meaning an unprecedented experience that’s so amazing that you just have to share it with friends.

LINE refused to put limits on its business domain, and instead looked to the broad needs of people and businesses across markets, again and again challenging itself in one promising field after another.

LINE’s many achievements and continuing commitment to finding new challenges are based on LINE's DNA and its way of working. We call these LINE STYLE.

  • Users Rule

    It’s not about us. It’s about them. Our entire business is built on understanding our users.

    To create WOWs, it is most vital to truly understand user needs. You must think from the users' perspective when making critical decisions and make their needs your prime criteria because users are the judges who ultimately determine success.

    But uncovering our users’ needs is a more difficult challenge than you may realize. Their needs can change from moment to moment. Often users don’t even know what their needs are, so discovering them requires an obsessive, almost fanatical, level of analysis. You need to keep an eye on their every action, no matter how slight, to uncover those hidden needs, constantly checking and re-checking, using every quantitative and qualitative method.

  • Stay a Step Ahead

    A swift beta rollout is better than a perfect one that comes too late

    However perfect, a service won’t draw attention from users if it misses the timing. The competition LINE is taking part in is a speed battle in a volatile environment. To be the best, a service must offer an amazing and unprecedented experience—with an emphasis on “unprecedented.”

    But unprecedented means more than just being first. What matters is being the first to be recognized by users. Plans can never be perfect, so you have to take risks, put them to the test right away, and then revise them constantly.

  • Perfect Details

    ‘Good’ is never good enough

    What makes the difference are the details. Detail is what differentiates a top service from the also-rans—because when we talk about details, what we’re really talking about is meticulousness.

    Those details emerge only after we repeatedly and painstakingly ask “Is there anything we can do to make this better?” “Is there any way to make this a little more perfect?” That attention to detail forces us to tweak and make endless tiny adjustments, gradually improving our services and taking them to a higher, more outstanding level.

  • Always Data-driven

    Follow the data, not your feelings

    Numbers don't lie. However, our feelings are much less trustworthy. Especially after putting a lot of hard work into a project, all of us have the tendency to see what we want to see. It’s tough to stay objective.

    Are users embracing a service as we expected? If not, why not? How do we fix the problems that are holding a service back? The solutions are in the data. You should always make decisions based on the numbers, especially in new markets. Fierce disagreements and fiery discussions are fine, but always look to the data for evaluating your opinions and choosing outcomes.

  • Build Lean and Exceptional Teams

    Leading services are made by agile, elite teams, not sprawling bureaucracies

    Making a team twice as large doesn't mean it can accomplish twice as much. In fact, it can often result in slowing down the team’s working speed. Leading services are often created by elite, compact teams, not sprawling bureaucracies. A soccer team with 100 good-enough players will lose to a team that has 11 elite players.

    As a company grows, its operations should be like a hundred lean start-ups working together, rather than like a bloated conglomerate. No one can compete with the giant global conglomerates based on size alone. Our advantage must be in the quality and efficiency of our workers. Always focus on organizing small, elite teams and strengthen them. Better, not bigger.

  • Open Communication,
    Vertical Decision-making

    Teams need to discuss things openly, but follow the leader’s decisions

    Everyone, including leaders, can make a wrong judgment. And no one is an expert in every field. The odds of finding success increase when you can have passionate, frank discussions, and everyone in the team feels empowered to add their voice when necessary.

    However, after going through the discussion process, only one direction can be chosen. The leader is the one who makes the choice and is responsible for the results. To successfully achieve that goal, a team’s members need to trust in the leader's judgment and work together toward putting the decision into practice.

  • Keep in Sync, Aiming for
    the Same Goal

    The end point can change, but the team always stays together

    When working towards a goal, a team has to concentrate its energy on going in the same direction. Otherwise, you’ll never get where you’re going. Every member should clearly understand the objective of the project, and if the needs of users shift then the team members also need to understand exactly how that changes their goals. It is the leader’s job to communicate those goals clearly and make sure everyone understands any changes. Team leaders and team members have to keep moving together, constantly sharing feedback and always aiming at the same target.

  • Work Intensely and Be Focused

    You’re in trouble if you’re just ‘working hard’

    Working a long time doesn't guarantee results. You are in trouble if you are just “working hard.” When you work hard, you get caught up doing whatever is right in front of you and never think about why you do what you do. To be the best LINER, you have to use your time in a smarter and more focused way. It is better to spend an hour working really intensely than 5 or 6 hours just kind-of-hard. You should also always be aware of the fundamentals underlying your work: What you are doing, for whom and why.​

  • 1% Problem-finding,
    99% Solution-making

    Don’t ask ‘What’s wrong?’ Ask ‘How do we make it right?’

    Thinking critically can be an important part of creating a product or service, but don’t spend too much time fixated on what’s wrong—just 1% of your energy. Instead, put the other 99% into figuring out how to make it work. Anyone can find obstacles and potential problems, but at LINE we want people to concentrate their energy on discovering new things and generating new solutions that nobody has thought of before.

  • Go Brave. No Fear. No Regrets

    If you want to hit a home run, you’ve got to swing for the fences

    In baseball, a home-run king also tends to be a strikeout king because hitting home runs requires taking full, hard swings, which increases the risk of strikes. You cannot hit a homer from a bunt.

    The same is true for creating new services. If you have identified a feasible project with a sizeable potential market, you should take a serious swing at it, without being afraid of failure. And when someone else’s bold play turns out to be a failure, you shouldn’t criticize them. Instead analyze what happened and figure out the key lessons you can share, to prevent others from repeating the same mistakes. Learning from failure is the first step toward creating a success.

  • Enjoy the Challenges

    If your heart is beating fast, then you’ve taken on a true challenge

    The history of LINE is the history of achievement and growth made through boldly taking on all challenges and failing without regret. This process is not enjoyable for everyone. Sometimes it can be so exhausting that you just want to walk away. But the harder the challenge, the greater the sense of achievement when you overcome it. It's exciting to know that, after so much effort and many trials and errors, our services can bring a sense of WOW to the world and make life easier and more enjoyable for millions of people everywhere.

    But that kind of heart-pounding experience is only available to those who enjoy wrestling with big challenges and who don’t give up in the middle. If you like being the first person to leave footsteps in the fresh white snow and are proud of leading a difficult challenge to success, you'll be able to enjoy your journey no matter how hard it is. And that's a great way to build a WOW service.

The “wows” we want to create cannot be achieved by simply being innovative. In order to keep taking on new challenges and develop and create new value, we must observe the rules of society at large, respect those around us, and conduct our actions with transparency.

No matter how revolutionary it may be, new value cannot bring “wows” to the world if it is self-serving, if it comes at the expense of someone else’s grief, or if it is not accepted by society. By acknowledging, respecting and working hand-in-hand with the co-workers who sit next to us, our team, external partners, and the society at large, the value of that “wow” becomes something several times bigger.

We are always asking ourselves: Will our behavior allow us to stand proud in front of our parents, partners, children, friends, colleagues and other important people in our lives who trust us? Is all of our behavior decent? Do we feel pride in ourselves?

There are three keywords we should bear in mind when we act. We must maintain our PRIDE—as LINE employees, as service providers, and as human beings— and earnestly strive to coexist in a mutually beneficial relationship with society through LINE services.

  • Respect

    Recognizing diversity—respecting and trusting each other

    We try. We fail. And, then, we try again. For us to tackle so many challenges, we need an environment where we can understand people of different races, religions, genders, nationalities and people with different social norms. This diverse array of values helps further broaden the range of services that we can create.

    In order to make our company a comfortable workplace at which we can grow, we carry on creating an inviting and rewarding work environment with no harassment or bullying.
    Communicating and respecting each other across national, organizational, and hierarchical boundaries—that is how we become an innovative company.

  • Collaboration

    Maintaining humility and working together with society and partners as one

    As members of society, we must create value that is widely accepted by the general public. We must strive to coexist with the wider world through LINE's services. Our services are formed through cooperation with many external partners. We can provide innovative value to users by working together with advertisers, game companies, sticker creators and other partners.

    In order to establish good relationships with these partners, we must always be conscious of maintaining relationships that are “win-win”, never putting undue pressure on them or making undue demands.

    For that purpose, in addition to carefully observing the minimum rules within society, we must always maintain an attitude of humility, be aware of what we should do, and take responsibility for the results of our actions. We must build relationships of trust with partners through daily communication, and work as one to deliver value.

  • Fairness

    Being fair, sound, and honest—transparency and sincerity in how we engage with the world

    In order for us to carry out our mission and continue to grow, it is essential that we abide by the laws and regulations of each country and region. There is no need to overly fear making mistakes, but we must not succeed by lying, cheating or misrepresenting things.
    And, we must have the courage to speak up when we witness such acts. We strive to take honest actions that will allow our families, colleagues, friends and society to be proud of us.

    As platform operator providing various services, we must not give disproportionate favor to specific users, countries, regions and social hierarchies. We need to behave fairly towards all users and society. We will gain support from a wide reach of users and society as a whole by providing not only convenience, but also freedom, neutrality and fairness in cultural attitudes, thoughts and expressions.

    Our services are built on the trust born from appropriately protecting users’ privacy, and we are expected to maintain a stance of responsibility and diligence in our information management. We must be sincere and transparent in how we engage with users and society.

LINE Group Code of Conduct

Preface
This Code of Conduct sets forth legal and ethical standards of conduct for employees, officers, directors, contract staff and external representatives and agents (“LINE Personnel” or “you”) of LINE Corporation, companies in which LINE Corporation directly or indirectly controls or holds the majority
of equity or shares, or other companies recognized by LINE Corporation’s Board of Directors to be a LINE Group company (collectively, the “LINE Group,” “LINE” or “we”).
1. LINE Group’s Mission
The LINE Group’s mission is to bring people, information and services closer together. It means that our activities are focused on 'Closing the distance,' between the various parties that use our services. We at LINE strive to bring cutting edge mobile technologies and design together to fulfill the universal human need for communication and beyond as we aim
not just to strengthen bonds between people, but forge new ties and connections, ultimately, bridging all kinds of information, services and goods together. We understand and will faithfully carry out this mission that will be the foundation for all of LINE Group’s businesses and the basis of each individual’s conduct.
2. Responsibilities to Society
2.1 Compliance with Laws
In carrying out LINE Group’s mission and to continuously grow and develop, it is critical that we comply with all applicable laws, regulations, ordinances and policies of the countries and regions (“Laws”) in which we operate in all of our business activities. LINE Personnel have a responsibility to understand and comply with all legal regulations applicable to their individual business duties. In addition, even when an action may not be in technical violation of any Laws, LINE's Personnel must understand that it is LINE policy that they must always act ethically.

2.2 Prohibition of Discrimination and Harassment, and Respect for Diversity (Revised)
The LINE Group is expanding globally and is conducting business activities in countries and regions with varying cultures and ways of thinking. Understanding and respecting the diversity of these cultures and their way of thinking is a social as well as legal responsibility and will lead to the greater advancement of our business. In order to create such a corporate culture, LINE will not condone or tolerate discrimination and harassment toward any LINE employee, user, or vendor based on their race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, social relations,
or any other characteristic or status protected under national or local Laws. LINE will promptly address any reports of a violation of this policy. Retaliation against individuals making reports under this policy will not be tolerated.

2.3 Political neutrality (Newly established)
LINE Group aims to maintain political neutrality, not favoring or supporting any specific group or individual.

2.4 Contributions to Society (Revised)
The LINE Group, in pursuit of achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), is working to create a sustainable society by earnestly addressing various social issues and achieving positive impacts on society and the environment through its business.
Further, As a member of a global society, the LINE Group supports disaster assistance, environmental protection, social welfare, education, art and cultural promotion activities, thereby contributing to the creation of more healthy and prosperous communities around the world. LINE Personnel are encouraged to take interest in these activities and actively support them.
3. Responsibilities to Shareholders
3.1 Insider Trading
During the normal execution of their duties, LINE Personnel may learn material non-public information regarding our or other companies’ earnings forecasts, new product announcements, restructuring, or other information that an investor may consider important in making a decision to buy or sell a security. However, the securities laws of various countries strictly prohibit attempts to use such information to buy or sell securities, or otherwise earn profits from such information, and the sharing of undisclosed material information with family members or others (including friends, users and other LINE Personnel), all of which constitute illegal insider trading (“Insider Trading”). LINE Personnel must not engage in Insider Trading or otherwise induce such activities, and must strictly follow any internal policies and guidelines that address insider trading.

3.2 Accuracy of Books and Records
The full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure, including financial statements, in reports and other documents that are filed with or
submitted to relevant authorities and other public communications is important not only for compliance with tax, accounting, legal and other obligations, it also serves as the foundation of shareholder trust. Therefore LINE Personnel must ensure that LINE Group business records fairly and completely reflect our operations and financial condition. LINE Personnel should never intentionally delay recording transactions or events or intentionally record incorrect, incomplete or misleading information about any transaction or event.

3.3 Document Retention and Deletion (Revised)
LINE Personnel should follow all normal document retention Laws and internal policies as a general matter, but you must suspend normal document deletion practices if you receive instructions from the Legal Department concerning “document hold” orders. For example sometimes document retention procedures must be suspended to preserve documents for use in US litigation.
4. Responsibilities to Users
4.1 Privacy and Personal Information
As a provider of messaging and various other services, the LINE Group has been entrusted with the personal information of users around the world. These services are built on trust that is born from paying attention to the handling of personal information and appropriately protecting user privacy. It is LINE’s policy to comply with all Laws relating to the handling of personal information. In addition, LINE Personnel are responsible for ensuring that our services always only collect information necessary for achieving reasonable purposes, clearly inform users of the information collected and the reason for the collection, use the collected information only for said purpose, and delete user information when said purpose for which the information was collected has been achieved.

4.2 Improvement of Service Quality
The LINE Group’s services are used by users from diverse cultures, countries,
and demographics. In order to provide safe, secure and valuable services to a variety of users, we will respect the many diverse cultures of the markets where we conduct our business and commit to undertake maximum efforts to pursue quality services and products that enable true user satisfaction.

4.3 Fair Dealing and Responsible Marketing
LINE Personnel should endeavor to deal honestly with users and business partners. You must not misrepresent or conceal material facts.
LINE Personnel must adhere to the principles of fair marketing. For example, comparisons with, or references to, competitors or their services, must be done in a manner that is not deceptive or misleading, with care, and consistent with applicable Laws. Further, the LINE Group and its services should also be presented in a fair, complete, and accurate manner with care in all of its advertising and marketing materials.
5. Avoid Conflicts of Interest
5.1 Conflicts of Interest
A conflict of interest is when you have a personal relationship or financial or other interest that could interfere with your obligation to act solely in LINE’s best interests, or when you improperly use your position with LINE for personal gain. You must avoid allowing personal relationships or financial or other interests to interfere with your ability to act solely in LINE’s best interests or using your position for personal gain. If there is a conflict of interest (or if you are not sure if there is a conflict of interest) between the interests of LINE Personnel or their families and the interests of the LINE Group, you must immediately report the issue to HelpLINE, or elsewhere as directed by other policies.

5.2 Business Gifts, Entertainment, and Hospitality (Revised)
Offering or accepting business gifts, entertainment, and hospitality can create the appearance of a conflict of interest. We will not seek, accept, offer, promise, or give (directly or indirectly) anything of value―including gifts, entertainment, or hospitality―from or to any person or firm as a condition or result of doing business with LINE. Regarding gifts, entertainment, and hospitality for public officials, please refer to the related anti-bribery guidelines and also rule 6.2.

5.3 Protection and Proper Use of Company Assets
Improperly discarding or losing LINE Group assets (including information assets) can lead to serious damage to the company. Therefore, LINE
Personnel have a responsibility to carefully use LINE Group assets in conformity with the LINE Group Security Policy. In addition, LINE Group assets shall only be used for business activities, and shall not be used for personal or third-party profit or benefit.

5.4 Prevention of Trade Secret Disclosure
LINE Personnel shall, during and after employment, not disclose LINE Group trade secrets without LINE Group’s approval. Trade secrets may include not only classified information regarding the development of systems, services, know-how and technology, but also any other internal business materials that are not publicly available. LINE Personnel also shall not encourage a third party to use or disclose any third party’s trade secrets.

5.5 External Communications
LINE Personnel should not speak to the media, give speeches, present lectures, or otherwise speak on the LINE Group’s behalf without receiving advance approval from the Communications (PR) Department. Advance approval by the Communications Department is also needed for published materials like articles or books. You must also adhere to the LINE Group Employee External Communication Guidelines. For guidance on posting on social media, please refer to LINE Group Internet Posting Policy.
6. Thorough Compliance with Laws and Regulations
6.1 Compliance in the Work Environment
The LINE Group will comply with all Laws governing occupational safety and health and for the prevention of occupational accidents to promote a safe and productive working environment. Further, LINE Personnel must respect others, always communicate in a respectful and professional manner, and help build a corporate culture where discrimination and harassment are not tolerated.

6.2 Prohibition of Bribery
LINE is committed to maintaining high ethical and legal standards around the world. LINE prohibits bribery or corruption in any form, including giving, accepting, or authorizing bribes anywhere in the world. LINE Personnel may not provide or accept bribes or kickbacks, nor participate or cooperate in any direct or indirect corrupt practices involving government officials. In addition, depending on country or region, receiving and giving improper payments is considered bribery with civil and criminal liability. This prohibition also extends to third parties acting on LINE’s behalf, such as agents, representatives, contractors, or consultants. LINE Personnel must take care when selecting third parties to ensure that there is no indication that they might pay a bribe. To that end, LINE Personnel must comply with all related anti-bribery guidelines at all times.

6.3 Fair Competition and Antitrust Laws
Violations of antitrust and competition laws can lead to criminal and civil penalties for LINE and its employees personally, significant business disruptions, and harm to LINE’s reputation. LINE is committed to competing vigorously but fairly in all regions and countries in which it does business. Agreements with competitors present serious antitrust risks. Even seemingly well-intentioned communications about competitively sensitive subjects can raise concerns.
• Never enter into any understanding or agreement (whether formal or informal, express or implied) with any competitor to fix prices or, to divide users or geographic markets, or otherwise to agree not to compete.
• Avoid discussions with competitors about any competitively sensitive information (e.g., prices, costs, business strategies, users, market intelligence, etc.) without prior authorization from the Legal Department.
Consult with the Legal Department about restrictions on competition in any agreements with users or business partners, including any limits on the price at which a company can resell a LINE product.
6.4 Anti-Money Laundering (Revised)
Money laundering is strictly prohibited by the Laws and the LINE Group. The LINE Group is committed to preventing money laundering and complying with all legal requirements and prohibitions relating to money laundering, including the filing of required reports with law enforcement and other authorities. You should always be vigilant in your dealings with trade partners, users, and employees in order to avoid engaging in or indirectly supporting anyone’s money laundering efforts. Potential signs of money laundering include large payments made in cash or by non-contracted parties, or payments from non-business accounts.

6.5 Intellectual Property (Revised)
The LINE Group respects patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and all other intellectual property rights. Therefore, in addition to aggressively striving to create and protect our own intellectual property, and before providing service, and products we must be wary not to infringe the intellectual property rights of others.
In addition, rights to all work-related inventions and creations by LINE Personnel shall belong solely to the LINE Group, except where expressly prohibited by Laws or where exceptions to this rule are clearly confirmed in writing by LINE.

6.6 Trade Controls (Sanctions, Export/ Import Controls, and Anti-boycott)(Revised)
The Laws of many countries prohibit or restrict business dealings with certain countries, companies, organizations, and individuals. For example, the United States has imposed comprehensive sanctions against certain countries, along with more limited sanctions against other countries. In addition, most nations maintain “Restricted Party” lists of individuals, organizations, and companies with which trade is prohibited. Individuals, organizations, and business entities on these lists are deemed to be involved in terrorist activities, unlawful exports, nuclear proliferation, drug or human trafficking, or other criminal actions, and any dealings with these parties may lead to heavy penalties. The LINE Group expressly prohibits any business or other dealings with any such Restricted Parties or with sanctioned countries, unless authorized by applicable Laws.
In addition, the LINE Group requires compliance with all export and import laws and regulations that apply to our international commercial activities, and, where applicable, with U.S. anti-boycott laws.
7. Reporting and Investigating Violations
7.1 Reporting and Prohibition of Retaliation (Revised)
If you have concerns about violations of this Code of Conduct, you have a responsibility to promptly raise them with your supervisor, local HR Representative, the Legal Department, the Compliance Department, or the HelpLINE. All reports of misconduct will be treated confidentially. If you feel more comfortable you may also use the whistleblower helpline to make report anonymously.
Retaliation against or harassment of any LINE Personnel who, in good faith, seeks advice, raises a concern, reports misconduct, or provides information in an investigation is against LINE Group policy and is strictly prohibited.

7.2 Investigating Code of Conduct Violations
LINE takes all reports of misconduct seriously. All reports of suspected violations will be taken seriously and will be promptly reviewed.
Appropriate investigators will be assigned to review all reported instances of violations of this Code of Conduct or applicable Laws. In accordance with applicable Laws, LINE strives to protect confidentiality of the identify of or information about the individuals involved, to the extent practical.

7.3 Disciplinary Actions (Revised)
LINE Personnel are expected to follow all Laws while conducting business on behalf of LINE as a condition of employment. If you violate this Code of Conduct or applicable Laws, LINE will take appropriate disciplinary action, which may include:
• Disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment; and
• In the case of criminal conduct or other serious violations of the Laws, notification to appropriate
governmental authorities will be made, and civil and/or criminal penalties may be imposed by a government or court.
8. Inquiries
Any questions, etc. concerning this Code of Conduct shall be submitted to HelpLINE.
9. Administrative Procedures
9.1 Amendments to this Code of Conduct
Amendments to this Code of Conduct shall be approved by the LINE Corporation Board of Directors.

9.2 Waivers (Revised)
Any exemptions from this Code of Conduct shall only be granted pursuant to express authorization under official internal governance procedures (in
the case of violations by executives, by Board of Director approval only).
Any such exemptions shall be appropriately disclosed in accordance with applicable Laws.

9.3 Conflicts with Local Laws and Regulations (Revised)
In the event that any part of this Code of Conduct conflicts with local Laws, such conflicts should be reported to HelpLINE.

Versions other than Japanese and English can be found in the "About" section of our corporate site.

Adopted June 1, 2015
Amended May 1, 2016
Amended December 1, 2019