A row is brewing for control of Japan¡¯s everything app.
Elon Musk might talk about building an all-encompassing app. Japan already has one. Having evolved from a WhatsApp-like messenger into a product that touches almost every aspect of society, Line is now at the center of a tug-of-war for control ¡ª and risks becoming the latest powder keg that threatens relations between Japan and neighboring South Korea.
Line was created by the Japanese unit of South Korea¡¯s internet giant Naver, which still holds 50% of it in a complex structure overseen by SoftBank Group. But after a series of cyberattacks last year spooked Japanese regulators, discussions have begun about divesting Naver¡¯s holdings and moving control of the service fully within Japan¡¯s borders.
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