News On Japan

LINE Photo Album Glitch Exposes Private Images to Strangers

TOKYO, Dec 07 (News On Japan) - Thousands of users of the popular messaging app LINE experienced a privacy breach, with private photos saved in the app’s album feature being inadvertently displayed to strangers. Approximately 135,000 people were affected by the incident.

LINE’s album feature allows users to share photos with groups or individuals. Speaking in Tokyo’s Shibuya district, one woman in her 20s shared how she and her friends use the feature for sharing travel memories and daily moments.

“We often use it for sharing casual photos taken during outings or group trips,” she explained.

However, on October 28th, a system error caused photos shared through this feature to be mistakenly displayed to unrelated users. Although the issue was resolved by October 30th, it left many users alarmed.

A man in his 40s expressed his concerns: “If work-related photos were exposed, it could lead to significant problems.” Another user noted the distress of discovering inappropriate photos in an album meant for private use.

“A group photo folder suddenly contained explicit images of a couple,” said a woman in her 20s. “I didn’t know what to do and just closed LINE.”

Among the affected photos were private images, such as a woman’s nude photo and snapshots of unrelated individuals. A man who had been viewing travel photos with his wife found a disturbing addition.

“We were looking at our vacation pictures when a nude photo of an unfamiliar woman appeared,” he said. “My first thought was to avoid being misunderstood by my wife. It was alarming.”

The glitch also caused unrelated photos of a middle-aged man staring at the camera to appear in another user’s shared album.

LINE Yahoo, which manages the platform, apologized for the incident and requested user cooperation. “If screenshots containing affected images have been saved, we ask users not to share them on social media or other platforms to prevent further harm,” the company said.

Failure to comply may lead to legal consequences, warned legal expert Hiroki Nakamura. “Sharing such content could result in defamation claims or accusations of disrupting business operations,” he stated. “Users should exercise caution to avoid legal risks.”

The incident underscores the risks associated with cloud-based services and highlights the importance of safeguarding private data in today’s digital landscape.

Source: ANN

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A deepening labor shortage in Japan’s construction industry is beginning to impact homebuyers, with some experiencing delays of more than six months before construction can even begin due to a lack of available carpenters.

From April 1st, a new regulation took effect across Osaka Prefecture requiring all restaurants with a customer seating area larger than 30 square meters to become entirely smoke-free indoors—unless they install a designated smoking room. Establishments violating the rule face fines of up to 50,000 yen, while customers may be fined up to 30,000 yen.

The Imperial Household Agency launched an official YouTube channel on April 1st to introduce the activities of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako.

Japan's new fiscal year began on April 1st, with companies across the country holding entrance ceremonies to welcome new employees.

The Japanese government has released an updated damage forecast for a potential Nankai Trough megaquake, estimating that up to 298,000 people could die in the worst-case scenario. This projection reflects a slight reduction from the previous estimate of 332,000 deaths made 13 years ago.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

The prototype line for next-generation semiconductors developed by Rapidus is now ready, as a nationwide initiative to boost Japan's chip industry takes a major step forward in Hokkaido.

The Japanese government approved a cabinet ordinance on April 1st to introduce a new pre-screening system for foreign companies investing in Japan. The revised regulation will take effect on May 19th.

The Bank of Japan's March Tankan survey, a key quarterly economic report, showed that business sentiment among large manufacturers has deteriorated for the first time in four quarters.

Tokyo has made it mandatory to install solar panels on newly built houses starting April 1st, as part of its broader effort to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The new fiscal year began on April 1st, with companies across the Kansai region holding entrance ceremonies to welcome new employees.

Japan's new fiscal year began on April 1st, with companies across the country holding entrance ceremonies to welcome new employees.

Sukiya, one of Japan's leading beef bowl restaurant chains, announced it will temporarily close nearly all of its stores after an insect was found in a food item served at one of its outlets.

Fuji Television announced a sweeping overhaul of its management structure on March 27th, including the retirement of longtime executive Hisashi Hieda, who served on the board for 41 years.