Emoji make iconic court appearances.
Emoji are showing up as evidence in court more frequently with each passing year. And the ambiguity in how emoji are displayed and how we interpret them could become a larger issue for courts to contend with. Prosecutors in one US district were trying to prove that a man arrested
during a prostitution sting was guilty of pimping charges, and among the evidence was a series of Instagram DMs (direct messages) he'd allegedly sent to a woman. One read: "Teamwork make the dream work" with high-heels and money-bag emoji placed at the end. Prosecutors said the message implied a working relationship between the two of them. The defendant said it could mean he was trying to strike up a romantic relationship. In 2017, a couple in Israel was charged thousands of dollars in fees after a court ruled that their use of emoji to a landlord signalled an intent to rent his apartment. After sending an enthusiastic text confirming that they wanted the apartment, which contained a string of emoji including a champagne bottle, a squirrel, and a comet, they stopped responding to the landlord's texts and went on to rent a different apartment. The court declared that the couple acted in bad faith, ruling that the "icons conveyed great optimism" that "naturally led to the plaintiff's great reliance on the defendants' desire to rent his apartment". (Via theverge.com)
Dog thoughts
1. I found a really good stick. But I chewed it too hard and it broke in half. Which was disappointing until I realised now I have two sticks. Today has been an emotional roller-coaster.
2. The human is hosting a get-together this evening and I am told there will be snacks. So my goal will be to convince every single guest that I have not eaten. In several weeks.
3. Every time I get brushed, I have to take my collar off. The human always laughs and says that I'm naked. But the joke's on them. I'm very confident in my body.
