The Legal Implications of Using the “👍” Emoticon in Canada

Emoticons have become an everyday part of digital communication. Most everyone will understand the message if we send a smiley face or a heart. However, some emoticons can have multiple meanings, which can lead to misunderstandings in communication. This shows how careful one should be in choosing communication symbols these days. In this regard, Canadian residents should be very careful, because there you can even be charged for using the emoticon “thumbs up” (👍).

Canadian judge Timothy Keen has ruled that the 👍 emoticon can be considered a valid form of signature and represents a legally binding agreement. The judge came to this decision after one incident involving a grain buyer and a farmer communicating via text messages.

The dispute arose when a grain buyer sent a text message to a farmer offering to buy flax at a certain price and then sent a picture of a contract for the supply of flax, asking the farmer to accept it. In response to this post, the farmer sent 👍. While the grain buyer interpreted this emoticon as accepting the terms of the contract, the farmer only meant receiving the message itself, not the agreement. This dispute over the meaning of the emoticon led to a legal battle.

Judge Timothy Keen noted that emoticons are an unconventional way of agreeing to something, but acknowledged that the 👍 emoticon serves two purposes as a signature: approval and acceptance. He emphasized that the courts must also adapt to the changing ways of communication and the use of emoticons in everyday life. Therefore, it was decided that the emoticon 👍 can also serve as a sign of a legal agreement.

2023-07-21 07:00:00
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