Line (application)
4.0.0 (iOS ) February 17, 2014
2.0.24 (BlackBerry) February 17, 2014
3.2.0.274 ( Windows Phone ) January 24, 2014
Line is a mobile Instant-Messenger/VoIP-Software of the Korean NHN belonging Japanese company Line Corporation, who from 2011 within two years over 200 million customers.
When, after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, the Japanese telephone network was not working well, the Korean Naver mother NHN Corporation launched there the free program Line for Android and iOS and celebrated spectacular successes in Japan. Later it was " Line Japan " by NHN other activities, z.Bsp. Gaming, cleaved and enters " Japanese" on, even as the only internationally successful " Japanese " company in the social web segment, even if it is still a subsidiary. The app is now available in twelve languages, and also for Windows Phone, Blackberry, Windows, Mac OS, Firefox OS and Nokia Asha and wants in Asia the Chinese WeChat and the Korean KakaoTalk, in Europe especially WhatsApp, but also Hike and the Facebook make Messenger competition.
The program is both free VoIP calls can be active as well as send messages (see Skype), you can utilize this service also at a rudimentary social network expand, in this sense he is in Japan also competition from Mixi. It differs from many competing providers, among others, by the absence of coercion to link with a mobile phone number. In October 2013 Line is launched in Germany.
Censorship in China
In May 2013 it was announced that " line" ( or the underlying app provider Lianwo ) has built into the Mobile App a code that identify the specific words and then to disable sending the associated message impossible.
The original list of words affected included 150 entries. Most of them in the context of current political events in China, human rights and generally sensitive political topics. In addition, a number of terms were included, which were at least currently recognize any explosive significance. It is interesting to know that " Line" is also used internationally and take place outside of China no censorship. If, however, recognized as the country of origin during the installation China, the app automatically downloads the current censorship list and throws simultaneously to the corresponding blocking messages. The Citizen Lab has indicated that in addition have access to two other lists, of which " version 20" 223 words and " Version 21 " includes 370 words. Prominent representatives there, for example, " Tiananmen Square Massacre ", " Falun Gong " or " Wen Jiabao ".
The procedure of " line " is not an isolated case, but applies to many large companies in China who have to fear all of them to be occupied by the Chinese government with sanctions up to the cessation of all activities. Line Currently has 280 million registered users and is - in terms of market share - the largest messaging app in Japan, Thailand and Taiwan. The Chinese market is considered as a stated goal of expansion of the company, which is a well-disposed attitude of the government, of course, presupposes.
Criticism
The Foundation Warentest Line in February 2014 as "very critical" in terms of data protection.