OFFICIAL ACCOUNT GUIDELINES
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. LINE Official Account Guidelines
2. Service Policy
Rules for Opening an Account
1. Account Types and Screening Process
1.1. Account Types
1.2. Screening Process for Opening Verified Accounts
1.3. Screening Criteria
1.4. Customer Obligations
2. Customers Prohibited from Opening an Account
3. Prohibited Industries, Businesses, Products, and Services
Rules for Account Operation
1. Account Name Settings
2. Content Prohibited from Distribution
3. Penalties
4. Operation Precautions
5. Operation Precautions (for Commercial Use)
Exemption of Liability
Exemption of Liability
Introduction
1. LINE Official Account Guidelines
The LINE Official Account Guidelines (hereinafter referred to as "the Guidelines") are intended to explain the differences between the various types of accounts in LINE Official Account (hereinafter referred to as "the Service") provided by LINE Corporation (hereinafter referred to as "the Company") to its customers, including "Unverified Accounts," available for use by any company, organization, or individual; "Verified Accounts" and "Premium Accounts," which are only available to customers who pass a screening process instituted by the Company; as well as details of the screening processes involved in establishing an account, and the rules and precautions for opening and operating an account, which are used in order to ensure the smooth usage of the Service by our customers.
These Guidelines apply, together with the LINE Official Account Terms
of Use (hereinafter referred to as the “Terms and Conditions of Use”), only to accounts designated as based in Taiwan in accordance with the criteria established by the Company.
In instances in which the Guidelines do not contain relevant information, the Terms and Conditions of Use will fundamentally apply. In instances in which the Guidelines contradict or otherwise contravene the Terms and Conditions of Use, the Guidelines will take priority.
LINE Terms and Conditions of Use
LINE Official Account Terms of Use
Notes regarding the applicable scope of the Guidelines
- Official accounts, Business Connect accounts, and Customer Connect accounts opened before 2019/04/18(hereinafter collectively referred to as “old accounts”) will continue to be governed by the original LINE Official Account, LINE Business Connect and LINE Customer Connect Guidelines.
- LINE@ accounts opened before April 18, 2019 (hereinafter referred to as "LINE@ accounts") will continue to be governed by the original LINE@ Guidelines.
- Accounts opened for the Service on and after 2019/04/18, and old accounts and LINE@ accounts which have been officially transferred to the Service will be governed by the Guidelines in this document.
Details and determinations included within the Guidelines in this document are up to date as of 2019/04/18, but may be subsequently updated in response to changes in the social landscape or in relevant laws and statutes.
2. Service Policy
LINE Official Account is a service designed to allow account-holding customers to use their official account to engage more effectively with LINE users throughout Taiwan
Messages can be exchanged with—and a variety of information provided to—users who become "Friends" with a customer's LINE official account, allowing for the kind of communication that is regularly exchanged between actual friends.
At the same time, LINE is a communication platform used on a daily basis by a wide range of users across the age spectrum, from children to the elderly.
For this reason, the Company places tremendous focus on the following issues when considering the content distributed by LINE official accounts: "How do the recipients of this content (the users) feel about it?", "Is necessary information being provided to users in an appropriate format?", "Are users not being made to feel any discomfort?", and "Are all users able to use LINE safely and with peace of mind?"
The Guidelines in this document have been put in place in an effort on behalf of the Company to ensure that customers and users can build better "friendships" that will result in a richer and more rewarding LINE experience for all users.
Rules for Opening an Account
1. Account Types and Screening Process
1.1 Account Types
The Service offers customers two different account types: "Unverified Accounts," available for use by any company, organization, or individual; and "Verified Accounts," only available to those customers who pass a screening process instituted by the Company.
Additionally, the Company may sometimes designate accounts that have fulfilled certain criteria established by the Company as "Premium Accounts." However, the Company has no responsibility to disclose the criteria for making an account into a Premium Account.
1.2 Screening Process for Opening Verified Accounts
When a customer applies for a Verified Account, the Company will carry out a screening process.
In addition to the rules established for the refusal or cancellation of verified accounts detailed in the fourth clause of Article 2 of LINE Official Account Terms of Use (“Application for, and Authentication Rejection and Cancellation”) , the opening of a verified account may be refused on the grounds of the customer's industry or lines of business, at the sole discretion of the Company.
1.3 Screening Criteria
The screening process for the opening of a new verified account will be based upon the following criteria.
(1) Is there any possibility of the account proving disadvantageous to LINE users?
(2) Are there any applicable laws or statutes which the account may contravene?
(3) Is there any concern that the account may carry out any activity detailed under Article 1 of the LINE Official Account Terms of Use ("Prohibited Activities")?
(4) Does the account holder fulfill the screening criteria independently established by the Company?
(5) Will the account exert an adverse effect on the Company's businesses or damage the Company's reputation in any way?
The Company bears no obligation to explain the results of the screening process or the reasons behind any decisions to its customers.
1.4 Customer Obligations
In the instance that the Company approves the opening of a verified account following this screening process, this approval does not mitigate the customer's legal and social liability regarding the use of the Service in any way. Application for the use of the Service automatically denotes acceptance on behalf of the customer that any legal and social liability regarding the use of the Service belongs to the customer alone. The Company also accepts no liability for any damages inflicted upon any third party as a result of the use of the Service by its customers.
2. Customers Prohibited from Opening an Account
The Service will be unavailable for use by any customer deemed by the Company to belong to any of the below categories.
-Any company, organization, or individual providing a product or service which may be used for the purposes of criminal activity.
-Any company, organization, or individual engaged in illegal or criminal activity or that facilitates illegal or criminal activity.
-Any company, organization, or individual involved in the illegal or illicit sale or purchase of the personal details, registration details, usage history, and other related information of other individuals, or the mediation or agency thereof.
-Any company, organization, or individual committing acts in violation of laws and ordinances or standards of public order and decency, or which may be considered to be in violation of same.
-Any company, organization, or individual determined by the Company to have committed any prohibited acts established in Article 1 of the LINE Official Account Terms of Use.
-Any company, organization, or individual determined by the Company to be inappropriate as customers of the Service for any other reason.
(This may include but is not restricted to companies, organizations, or individuals which may possibly confer any disadvantage to LINE users; companies, organizations, or individuals which may possibly adversely affect trust in the public image of the Company; and companies, organizations, or individuals which may possibly involve the Company in complaints, claims for damages, or other conflicts.)
3. Prohibited Industries, Businesses, Products, and Services
In accordance with the Company's policies, the Company may reject the opening of accounts, suspend accounts, or nullify contracts for the Service in the instance that it is determined that customers fall into any of the below categories, whether in whole or in part.
Customers are also asked to be aware that the below list is not exhaustive, and that the Service may also be declined or suspended in cases other than those listed below.
本公司判斷顧客之業種、業態或提供之商品、服務符合以下任一情況時，不論帳號種類為何，不得使用本服務。敬請見諒。
另外，以下僅為舉例，以下內容未記載者，本公司仍可能拒絕提供本服務。敬請見諒。
1. 醫療：
(1) 醫藥品等：(a) 台灣國內未許可之醫藥品等; (b) 醫藥品等之個人代進口。
(2) 其他醫療：非法招募參與治療實驗受試者。
2. 成人：
(1) 成人相關店鋪、服務：(a) 性服務店，例：泰國浴、色情美容、到府色情美容、性服務酒店、情境酒吧、SM俱樂部／酒吧、牛郎、色情按摩、脫衣舞劇場、情色電影院、膝枕清耳垢服務店。(b) 深夜系飲食店：例：公關俱樂部。(c) 成人商店：例：成人DVD店、成人書店、成人商品販賣店。(d) 其他店鋪、服務：例：男性美容、女性專用按摩、女高中生服務、陪睡、洗澡。
(2) 成人數位內容：不利青少年保護教育或包含性的內容。例：成人影片、DVD、電影、節目、動畫播放、書籍、雜誌、漫畫、遊戲、APP、網站、論壇等。
(3) 其他成人相關產業：(a) 提供成人相關店鋪、服務相關情報。(b) 提供色情、微色情業、男性護膚等等相關求才資訊。
3. 網路相關業種：
(1) 遊戲實體金錢交易(RMT)：可將APP或線上遊戲等帳號、角色等交換為現實貨幣的網站或服務。
4. 多層次傳銷：
(1) 老鼠會、傳銷、MLM、網路商務：帳號內容不得出現拉下線行為。
(2) 靈異推銷法、試用推銷法等：以違法的方式販售商品等。
5. 刷卡換現金：
(1) 刷卡額度換現金服務：將可延後支付商品或服務費用的信用卡的信用額度換為現金的服務。
6. 賭博：
(1) 賭場：可兌換金錢的賭場、線上賭場服務（國內、海外）。
(2) 其他賭博：違法賭博服務。
7. 個人情報：
(1) 販售個人情報：販售姓名、性別、出生年月日可識別個人的情報。
8. 仿冒品、盜版品：(a) 販售藝人、角色等的仿冒品、盜版品、非官方商品。(b) 不當使用本公司角色。
9. 菸品：菸品及相關器具，如販售與煙相關商品及器具。
Rules for Account Operation
1. Account Name Settings
Account names for verified accounts need to be set in accordance with the regulations below.
Names infringing upon these regulations may be subject to requests for amendment from the Company.
(1) Names must include the official name of the company, organization, or individual, or the official name of the product or service provided thereby.
(2) Names must not imply the existence of companies, organizations, or individuals, or products or services which do not exist.
(3) Names must not include text strings which are non-factual or which may lead to erroneous inferences.
(4) Names must not imply that they pertain to products or services offered by the Company or its affiliated companies.
Name changes for verified accounts will also be subject to a separate screening process. If it is determined that the new name may lead to confusion or discomfort among the account's friends, it may be rejected on the grounds of user protection. The same applies for name changes that are determined to be too frequent.
2. Content Prohibited from Distribution
Irrespective of account type, it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure that any content distributed from the account (including chats, Timeline posts, and auto-replies) and details of the account settings do not involve any of the below activities which infringe upon Article 1 of the "Prohibited Activities" list in the LINE Official Account Terms of Use.
- Activities that violate the law, court verdicts, resolutions, orders, or administrative measures that are legally binding.
- Illegal activities or activities that aid or encourage illegal activity.
- Activities that infringe intellectual property rights, such as copyrights, trademarks, patents, fame, privacy, and all other rights of the Company and/or a third party granted by the law or contract.
- Activities that may adversely affect public order or customs.
- Activities that benefit or collaborate with anti-social groups.
- Activities that use the Service as an advertising medium for a third party.
- Activities that lead to the misrepresentation of the Company and/or a third party, intentionally spread false information, or involve the display or dissemination of content unrelated to the operation and maintenance of the customer's business reported at the time of application.
- Activities that illegally or improperly lead to the collection, disclosure, or provision of a third party's personal information, registered information, user history, or other related information.
- Activities that post or transmit violent or sexual expressions; expressions that lead to discrimination by race, national origin, religion, gender, social status, family origin, or other criteria; expressions that induce or encourage suicide, self-injury, or drug abuse; or anti-social expressions that include anti-social content and lead to the discomfort of others.
- Activities that use the Service for the purpose of sexual conduct or obscene acts, use the Service for the purpose of meeting a person for sexual or romantic encounters, use the Service for the purpose of harassment or libelous attacks against other users, or use the Service for purposes other than the Service's main purpose.
- The distribution of content that may cause discomfort or inconvenience to users or third parties.
- Activities that interfere with the servers and/or network systems of the Service.
- Activities that interfere with the Company's operation of the Service or users' use of the Service.
- Activities that deliberately take advantage of defects of the Service.
- Activities that make unreasonable inquires and/or undue claims of the Company.
- The distribution of content which contravenes the LINE Terms and Conditions of Use.
- The distribution of content which contravenes the LINE Logo Usage Guidelines.
- Activities that aid or encourage any activity stated above.
- Other activities that are deemed by the Company to be inappropriate.
3. Penalties
Irrespective of account type, in the instance that it is determined by the Company that any content distributed from any account (including chats, messages, Timeline posts, and auto-replies) or details of the account settings are inappropriate, or any activities have been conducted that violate the regulations stipulated on above section of "Content Prohibited from Distribution" or below section of "Operation Precautions", the Company may impose any or all of the below penalties, or other penalties of similar type.
- Deletion of problematic content
- Suspension of the Service
- Annulment of the Service contract
The Company shall not be required in any instance to provide reasons for any penalties imposed.
4. Operation Precautions
Customers are required to respect all relevant laws and industry rules and standards in the operation of their accounts.
Customers are also required to respect the user-protection precautions on the following pages, which apply to the content distributed from all accounts (all functions, including messages, Timeline posts, account pages, auto-replies, keyword replies, rich menus, and LINE LIVE), irrespective of whether or not they are used for commercial purposes.
As a rule, there are no pre-posting checks in place, but the Company conducts monitoring of all transmissions in real time. Any transmissions which are found to infringe upon the precautions may be deleted and the associated account may be suspended. Please conduct all content distribution with this in mind.
(1)Links to pages which cannot be viewed or operated on smartphones
Please refrain from posting links which cannot be viewed or operated on smartphones (iOS, Android). It is recommended that all linked pages display properly on smartphones.
(2)Links or phrasing which may be confusing to users or which may cause errors
Please refrain from posting unclear links, the use of non-functional buttons or menus, or anything else which may confuse users, may lead to operational errors, or which may significantly impair the user experience.
(3)Inducement to download apps
Please consult the regulations governing the App Store, Google Play, or other interfaces, as well as the Company's Terms and Conditions of Use and the Guidelines listed in this document before inducing users to download apps.
(4)Account name changes
When a customer strongly wishes to change the account name of a verified account whose name has already been approved via the screening process, a second screening process will be instituted to vet this change. Please be aware that should it be determined that the new name may lead to confusion or discomfort among the account's friends, it may be rejected on the grounds of user protection.
(5)Icon image changes
As icon images must not strike users as unnatural, it is strongly recommended that images related to the account name are used.
Due to the Service's operational specifications, icon images cannot be changed again for one hour after being changed.
For users whose friend numbers exceed a certain threshold, icon images cannot be changed unilaterally, and a separate request must be filed.
Please refrain from sudden or frequent changes to prevent possible confusion among the account's friends.
5. Operation Precautions (for Commercial Use)
For accounts used for commercial purposes, the below precautions should also be respected in terms of account operation in addition to those listed on the previous page.
-Clear display of advertisers
All advertisements must clearly display the advertiser's name. For images, this must be displayed at a clearly visible size.
When materials not belonging to the customer are used, the name of the rights holder of the materials must be displayed, and the relationship between the rights holder and the customer clearly explained.
-Prohibition of multi-sponsor advertisements
Except where specifically permitted by the Company, the resale of advertising space to a third party is prohibited. Advertisements for multiple entities or the purchase of advertising space by groups of entities is not allowed. The use of the Service to release information pertaining to unrelated third parties is also fundamentally prohibited from a user protection standpoint.
Exceptions may be made in cases in which the following conditions are met.
1. A clear relationship is established between the two entities in which one entity controls the other, and the content of the advertisement is such that users will not be confused or misled.
2. A clear logical necessity is established for the two entities to produce a combined advertisement.
3. When the entities share a “Collaborative Account,” which is provided by the Company as a separate advertising menu.
-Promotion of other companies' products or services
Promotion of specific products or services are only permitted in the following cases.
1. The customer is promoting products or services produced by its own company.
2. The customer is promoting products or services produced by another entity with whom it shares a "Collaborative Account" which is provided by the Company as a separate advertising menu.
-Link restrictions
Please refrain from posting links to pages which do not have a direct relationship with the text or creative content in the post. Links to pages not under the practical control of the customer are also prohibited. It is required that message titles, content, and linked pages are all related, and do not strike users as unnatural.
-Corrections to posted content
When posting corrections to previously posted content, it must be made clear that the message is a correction.
Correction messages are charged at the same rate as standard posts.
Exemption of Liability
1. Once transmitted to users, messages cannot be deleted or amended by either the customer or the Company.
2.Any posts to Timeline or in comments determined by the Company to be inappropriate may be deleted without prior notice.
3.User information of friends of the account (including but not restricted to account name and LINE ID) and message information sent in chats by the friends of the account cannot be disclosed by the Company under any circumstances (with the exception of certain functions).
4.LINE is a service developed for smartphones (iOS, Android). As a result, while it does have minimum functionality for PCs and for smartphones using operating systems other than iOS and Android, the Company cannot guarantee the correct display of all official account functionality on such devices.
5.Functionality of the Service (including the LINE Official Account admin screen) and the content of the Guidelines in this document may be changed without prior notice. The Company may also change the Guidelines when necessary via public notification or messaging to customers. Continued usage of the Service following such changes will constitute agreement of the customer to the new Guidelines.
6.If Apple or Google determines that significant ranking changes have occurred as a result of app notifications via LINE, there is a risk that the promoted app may be rejected on the grounds of ranking manipulation. Please be aware of this possibility when promoting apps via the Service.
7.In the instance that customers make use of the Service to induce users to use external services, technical or other issues may preclude users from using these external services. As a result of these inducements, customers may be subject to claims or complaints from users or sustain other disadvantageous treatment from platform holders or other sources (hereinafter referred to as "disadvantageous treatment"). The customer must be aware of this possibility and conduct any inducements to external services at its own risk. The Company shall bear no responsibility for any failures to use external services or other disadvantageous treatment as a result of such issues.
Last updated: April 18, 2019