Japan government halts use of message app Line for sensitive information


FILE PHOTO The logo of free messaging app Line is pictured on a smartphone and the companys stuffed toy in this photo illustration taken in Tokyo Japan Sept. 23 2014. REUTERSToru HanaiIllustrationFile Photo

FILE PHOTO: The logo of free messaging app Line is pictured on a smartphone and the company's stuffed toy in this photo illustration taken in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 23, 2014. REUTERS/Toru Hanai/Illustration/File Photo

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Japanese government has decided to temporarily halt its use of popular messaging app Line, owned by SoftBank Corp's Z Holdings, to handle sensitive information, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said on Monday.

The decision comes after domestic media reports this month that four engineers at a Line affiliate in Shanghai were allowed to access servers in Japan from 2018 that contained the names, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of users.

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