Legal Implications of Use of Emojis: A Critical Analysis

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2023.v08.n10.003

Keywords:

emojis, legal implications, use, WhatsApp

Abstract

The rise of emojis in our communication landscape has brought both their widespread adoption and the pervasive challenge of misinterpretation. These small, expressive symbols are ubiquitous in social media, and their meanings exhibit significant variations influenced by age, culture, and gender. While emojis add a lighthearted dimension to our interactions, their growing influence prompts contemplation of their potential legal implications. The misapplication or misreading of emojis can potentially result in legal consequences, especially in everyday life where they are used for humor, offense, or even in business contexts. Emojis, once considered mere embellishments to our digital conversations, now occupy a more substantial role, blurring the lines between informal discourse and the legal domain.

Author Biographies

Dr. Hiranmaya Nanda, Associate Professor, School of law, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar-751004, Odisha, India

Dr. Hiranmaya Nanda has completed his Ph.D. in “Delay in delivery of Justice with special reference to the sub-ordinate Courts and High Court of Orissa”: A Jural Analysis”. He did his masters in “Business Laws” specialization and B.A.LLB(H) from Madhusudan Law College, Utkal University. He further has to his credit 5 certificate Courses/Diplomas (In Intellectual Property Laws, Corporate laws, Medical Laws, Cyber laws & Computing). Currently Dr. Nanda is working as Associate Professor at KIIT School of Law. He had more than 12 years of Teaching & Research experience. He has served at SOA National Institute of law. Prior to that he has also been a Visiting faculty at Madhusudan law College, Cuttack. Presently, Dr. Nanda has to his credit more than 40 publications in Scopus, UGC, and other National & International peer reviewed journals, 6 Books/Book-Chapters and 60 papers presented/published in various other Seminars, Conferences, training programs, magazines, workshops, faculty development programs, Refresher courses, webinars etc. He has also been selected as a Reviewer of Indian Law Institute Journal, New Delhi Sage Journal Publication & Willey Journal Publication. He has immense interest in teaching specifically Personal Laws, Law of Contract Health Laws, Interpretation of Statutes and Human Rights.

Kabuubi Sulaiman, 5th year Student, BBA LLB (H), SOA National Institute of Law

Kabuubi Sulaiman is an international student pursuing undergraduate bachelor of Law (BBA-LLB (H) from SOA National Institute of Law in Odisha. His areas of interest lie in; policy, technology, arbitration, labor, and intellectual property laws. He is fascinated by how law intersects and interacts with the milieu of social transformation. He is also interested in mapping how law grows with the improving and complex societal transformations and impacts on humanity.

References

Kelly, R. and Watts, L. (2015). “Characterizing the Inventive Appropriation of Emoji as Relationally Meaningful in Mediated Close Personal Relationships” Experiences of Technology Appropriation: Unanticipated Users, Usage, Circumstances, and Design

Zhu, X. (2015). “A Symbolism Study of Expression in Text-Based Communication” Iowa State University Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Pele A. 2016. “From English to Emojis: A New, Simpler, Digital Language” The 11th International Conference on Virtual Learning ICVL 2016 :396-401

Kyle L. K., Malone S. A. and Wall H. J. 2017. “Emojis: Insights, Affordances and Possibilities for Psychological Science” Trends in Cognitive Sciences Volume 21, Issue 2: 66-68

Dürscheid C. and Siever C. M. 2017. “Beyond the Alphabet – Communication of Emojis” Kurzfassung eines (auf Deutsch) zur Publikation eingereichten Manuskripts

Downloads

Published

13-10-2023

How to Cite

Nanda, H., & Sulaiman, K. (2023). Legal Implications of Use of Emojis: A Critical Analysis. RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 8(10), 13–18. https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2023.v08.n10.003