The controversial issue of the privacy of personal information – contacts, messages, photo gallery, and how far messaging apps have access to these important info has never faded away. Each and every day, a certain app, new or old, or website comes under the scrutiny lenses regarding variously similar privacy issues. Line messenger definitely is no difference.
The notorious Line messenger is, like many other apps and socials, facing many accusations that include unauthorized access to the users’ individual information, stored on their personal devices. In fact, most of the apps may dubiously ask for the user’s consent to have unlimited access to their devices, but the user may as well be unaware of what is he saying ‘agree’ to.
Many app investigators are digging deep into privacy terms of each of the services provided by Line messenger – and other messengers as well. Just like Facebook messenger and Facebook Lite, that recently faced an accusation of collecting and keeping a record of the users call logs and messages history, Line is suspected of a similar behavior.
And although the Line app denied such violating act; it is quite obvious that there isn’t a service that doesn’t copy down the user’s personal data illegally. These apps, including Line messenger, are designed to have access to our devices. Having access to critical messaging and calls history doesn’t refute the stark ability to record it. Line messenger requires the users to frankly allow the app to access their smartphones for instance; a direct permission is the only way to have access to such info.
And despite that the Japanese Line has quite a reputation in presenting various services to its customers, stirring the competition to higher levels – services that include sending and receiving messages, streaming music, ordering taxi, and making payments – Line doesn’t have the right to spy on its users nor does it look any different from using any other similar messaging-and-tracking-down apps. Line had such an astonishing start, back in 2016, and it needs to improve and bring new moves to the game.
What about not tracking down any user’s personal information anymore? If this kind of collecting personal data is needed to guarantee a better experience and to introduce better services, then the user must be put in the picture by informing him of the real intentions behind such actions and educating him as well about the mechanism used to complete the process.
