Designation of DPO at LY Corporation

What Is a DPO?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was enacted to strengthen the protection of personal data within the European Economic Area (EEA) in the digital age. GDPR stipulates the role of Data Protection Officer (DPO) to monitor and evaluate the use, protection and management of user data collected by the company and to advise the company management and others on the relevant issues.
With the enforcement of the GDPR in 2018, many companies located in or doing business for the EEA have designated a DPO.

Role of DPO at LY Corporation

The DPO at LY Corporation is committed to protecting users' rights and interests, handling day-to-day data security and privacy matters, so that users can entrust their data and enjoy the variety of convenient and useful services.
The DPO carefully listens to the opinions of users and experts at the Panel of Experts, and monitors, evaluates, and advises on the protection, management and use of user data for users from an objective standpoint independent of the business teams, as well as the privacy and security teams and their managers.

Illustration: Role of LY Corporation's DPO

DPO designation at Major Group Companies

In furtherance of its management policy of "Privacy & security first," and based on the Basic Policy on Data Protection, LY Corporation requires the designation of a DPO at its major Group companies that handle user data, and also supports DPO activities at such Group companies. As of October 2023, 16 Group companies, including PayPay Corporation, ASKUL Corporation, and ZOZO, Inc., have designated DPOs who provide comprehensive monitoring and advice from the user's perspective on the appropriateness of data protection measures at respective Group companies.

Companies with DPOs

• ASKUL Corporation

• Ikyu Corporation(Japanese only)

• ZOZO, Inc.

• dely, Inc.(Japanese only)

• Demae-can Co., Ltd.

• ValueCommerce Co., Ltd.

• PayPay Corporation

• PayPay Card Corporation(Japanese only)

• PayPay Bank Corporation

• LINE Credit Corporation(Japanese only)

• LINE Securities Corporation(Japanese only)

• LINE Xenesis Corporation

• LINE Pay Corporation(Japanese only)

• LINE Healthcare Corporation(Japanese only)

• LINE MUSIC CORPORATION(Japanese only)

• LY Corporation

As of October 2023. (In Japanese syllabary order.)

Data Protection Officer's Voice

DPO's mission: "Users first"

We believe that our users can entrust us with their data with confidence if we continuously improve and strengthen our data protection efforts by accurately grasping the needs of our users and society, and by transparently explaining and updating our data protection efforts. We think that a sustainable cycle of safety and security activities, backed by transparency is essential to further boost the appropriate use of user data at LY Corporation, and believe that we can contribute to build a better data-driven society only when this cycle runs effectively.

To this end, we need to communicate clearly to users what kind of value LY Corporation aims to deliver to users and society, how it intends to use which data to achieve its goals, and in what form it will or will not use such data. It is also important that we provide objective and neutral opinions from the users' standpoint to the company and the Group companies, on such issues as what needs to be considered for specific data use, what security measures are needed for the handling of user data and others.

The mindset of employees who utilize user data at the forefront of businesses is also important. The DPO will play a central role in ensuring that each employee is aware of the need to handle users data appropriately in their work. In order to provide better services, plannings, and system design, each employee needs to be able to think about data protection in a more autonomous manner in each situation. In each task, the employees need to take a step back and ask themselves, "Will the society accept what we are trying to do?" "Can we adequately protect the rights and interests of our users?" I would like to see this practice of objectively reviewing these data protection issues spread further within the company and throughout the Group, as well as throughout the industry as a whole.

We, at LY Corporation, will continue our efforts to build a user first society where users can entrust us with their data with confidence and enjoy the various convenient and useful services, and "Create an amazing life platform that brings WOW! to our users."