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.
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.
Our vision is to become a digital platform 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 a digital platform 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 place where people dream the same dream — of creating No. 1 services that are adored by countless users — and work together to achieve that dream. LINERs explore new opportunities with the goal of becoming No. 1, then work together to achieve this.
WOW=No. 1
No. 1 services that lead the market and change paradigms always have a WOW factor. The WOW that LINE pursues is “an unprecedented experience that you just have to share with others.”
LINE is a place where you can feel the incomparable thrill and pride of pursuing WOW and dreaming of being
No. 1. Moving forward, LINE will continue taking on bold challenges in the way that only LINE can.
LINE STYLE is how LINERs work to create WOW=No. 1. We have nine keywords, which we have grouped into three main “directions,” to serve as the standards we follow at LINE and then we help LINERs to put them into practice.
Users are at the core of everything
LINE’s goal is to make No. 1 services. Since services can only survive and become No. 1 through the interest and choice of users, users are the foundation and core of all LINE services. That is why you need to think from the users’ perspective at every step creating a service, from start to end. You must ensure that the users trust LINE in every step of the service development process, from pinpointing user needs in advance to releasing distinctive services that embrace those needs.
First and foremost, you must identify user needs based on data, not on a hunch. If you misidentify what our users need, the foundation of all our services, then your very starting point is going to be wrong. Often user needs are difficult to identify, so you can only uncover them when you analyze their data in depth, from different angles. Furthermore, user needs are always changing, so you must be attentive to their changes and keep your data up-to-date.
Once you have pinpointed the users’ needs, you must apply them and create services with perfect details, like only LINE can offer. We can only survive the fierce competition when we offer unique and distinctive user experiences that stand out from the cascade of alternatives. The work doesn’t end with the release of a service. There is no guarantee that the users who were initially satisfied with a service will still choose it a year later. You must aim for a standard that exceeds their ever-changing expectations, observe their reactions, make the necessary modifications, and do what it takes so our users continue to choose us.
It is also important to ensure you maintain the trust of our users throughout the service development process. LINE was only able to grow into the global life platform it is today through earning the support and dedication of our users. That is why our continued growth depends on not only maintaining the trust of our users, but further strengthening that bond.
As LINE has grown, the scope and level of user and stakeholder expectations have also grown. This is because the influence of our services has increased, not only with the number of users, but also with their breadth, encompassing users, shareholders, governments, local communities, partners, and LINERs. Accordingly, all LINERs should always be thinking in terms of “how” they are achieving their goals, not just “what” they’re achieving.
Focus on making things happen
Your job as a LINER is, in effect, to always be solving problems. LINERs don’t set their eyes on the difficulties of problems or challenges. Rather, they focus on solving such problems with grit and determination, doing their best to create solutions. There are always endless reasons why something can’t be done. So, you need to dig deep, and find ways to accomplish your goals.
In your work, you will face numerous problems to solve and, yes, each of them will be difficult. Therefore, you must prioritize your tasks and focus on solving the problem at hand. You can only solve problems when you properly allocate your time and effort according to the importance of each issue. What’s more, you will find that you can come up with new, out-of-the-box solutions when you’re intensely immersed in the work, rather than simply “working hard”.
Moreover, in an ever-changing global environment, it is vitally important that LINE stay ahead of the curve, working with agility to assess reactions and find solutions. You might miss the optimal timing if you wait until you have a perfect plan. When you execute first and then react to the unexpected and unknown while trying different methods of accomplishing your task, you will find solutions that you could not have foreseen while planning.
Finally, you must boldly undertake all your tasks and keep pushing yourself, unafraid of failure. What we’re aiming to do is necessarily challenging and tiring for anyone, but instead of succumbing to adversity, you should try to find meaning in those challenges and redouble your resolve. If you truly did your best—if you gave it your all and went beyond your limits—your time and effort will be still meaningful even if you meet failure at the end of the road. Or, even better, they can serve as valuable lessons for your next challenge. And, when you finally do succeed, you will feel an even greater sense of accomplishment.
Operate elite, efficient teams to produce results
Lean & Mean Teams refers to creating teams that are efficient, with nothing in excess of what is needed, single-minded in their common objective. A hundred mediocre athletes cannot beat a team of 10 elite athletes who are determined to win no matter what. WOW can only be achieved when an organization is optimized for a given task, moving in perfect order like one body, battling with a true fighting spirit.
To be lean and mean, each team must have honest and thorough internal communications. In an open environment, team members will suggest ideas to find solutions, and the team leader will listen to them, set a clear direction based on their input, and take responsibility for those decisions. Team members must trust their leader's judgment and work together to achieve the team's goals, even if the decision differs from their own.
In the process of accomplishing a task, a common objective and direction must be shared clearly from start to end, and everyone must constantly exchange feedback. LINE is in a stormy sea full of waves. In order to overcome the waves, everyone on the boat must work together and play their part. If a leader does not offer a clear direction or explanation, or if the members don’t do their best, ignoring the leader's instructions and rowing however they like, the boat will not arrive at its destination. LINE teams need to be able to quickly exchange opinions, adjust the direction according to prevailing conditions, and synchronize their progress with all members in real time, no matter what changes they encounter. Only then can you survive in an ever-changing environment, through quick and precise actions.
The more difficult the challenge is, the more important the support of your teammates is. There’s nothing like the feeling of accomplishment and pride you get after overcoming challenges together as a team, challenges you once thought were insurmountable when you were on your own. When teammates complement and encourage each other in difficult times, a bond is formed, creating a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts, and an energy that you cannot create alone.
The “wows” we want to create cannot be achieved by simply being innovative. In order to continue creating value and take on new challenges, 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 not only users, but also shareholders, government, community, partner, and other LINERs (i.e.LINE employees), the value of that “wow” becomes something several times bigger.
We should always ask ourselves: Will our behavior allow us to stand proudly in front of our families, friends, LINERs and the other important people in our lives who trust us?
Is all of our behavior decent? Do we feel pride in ourselves?
And, beyond doing the right thing, do we have the courage to speak up when we witness unethical activities, such as lying, cheating or being dishonest.
There are three keywords we should bear in mind when we act.
RESPONSIBILITY, RESPECT, COLLABORATION
We must maintain our PRIDE—as LINERs, as service providers, and as human beings—and earnestly strive to coexist in a mutually beneficial relationship with society through LINE services.
Fulfilling our obligations to our users and society with honor and honesty
LINE is a service provider that operates in many parts of the world and is used by millions of people. Our responsibility is to provide services that users can rely on, and we take this responsibility incredibly seriously.
In order to fulfill that sense of responsibility, it is important to act with integrity and accountability, as well as to protect users' privacy and comply with all laws and regulations.
In addition, to maintain the trust and support of users and society, we must provide services in a neutral and fair manner without being overly biased toward any particular user or region.
By acting responsibly, we build the bonds of trust between us, our users, and society, which is the foundation for LINE's long-term growth and health.
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 where 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.
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 partners. We can provide innovative value to users by working together with advertisers, developers, 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.
LINE Group Code of Conduct
Versions other than Japanese and English can be found in the "About" section of our corporate site.
Adopted June 1, 2015