The revised LINE MINI App Policy that LINE Developers announced on September 14, 2026 took effect as scheduled on October 14, 2026, restricting in-app advertising to “in principle” one network — LY Ads Network — in a move LINE says is meant to curb fraudulent and malicious ads. LINE’s own October 14 notice confirms the change went ahead unchanged from the September draft.
What Took Effect on October 14
LINE’s October 14 announcement confirms the same terms as its September notice: the revision clarifies the conditions for serving ads inside LINE MINI Apps — the lightweight booking, ordering and loyalty programs that run inside LINE with no separate app download. Three categories of ad remain: placements through LY Ads Network, direct placements arranged by the MINI App’s own service provider, and ads sold directly under an advertiser contract. Only the LY Ads Network route is allowed “in principle” now that the policy is live; the other two stand as named exceptions, not open alternatives. LINE’s September notice had flagged the content and date as “subject to change,” but the October confirmation carries no changes.
Why It Matters for Thai Sellers
LINE MINI Apps have spread well beyond big chains in Thailand — LINE says adoption grew fivefold in the quarter after launch, reaching small cafés and shops alongside known brands. If a business’s MINI App shows ads through any network other than LY Ads Network — often set up by whichever agency or developer built the app — that arrangement now sits outside the policy, with no grace period or replacement timeline published for anything beyond the two named exceptions.
What to Do Now
- Ask whoever built or manages your LINE MINI App which network it serves ads through today: LY Ads Network, a direct provider placement, or a direct-sold contract.
- If it’s none of those three, ask your developer or agency to bring it in line with the policy now — LINE has not published a transition period or grace window.
- This only touches in-app ads on a LINE MINI App — your LINE Official Account, Messaging API and chat broadcasts are unaffected.
Anyone tracking the Chat Ads API shutdown should treat this as the same pattern: LINE is tightening who can serve ads around its products, one surface at a time.
