A Saskatchewan court ruled that a thumbs-up emoji (👍) can actually validate a contract.
What happened: The case involved a grain buyer looking to purchase flax and a farmer who responded to his request. The buyer texted the farmer a prospective contract, asking him to confirm it. The farmer replied with a thumbs-up emoji, but never shipped the grains.
- The farmer argued that the emoji was merely a confirmation that he received the text, but the court said “😂 🙅 ❌” to that defence and ordered him to pay $82,200.
Presiding judge Justice Timothy Keene searched far and wide for a precise definition of the thumbs-up emoji—looking everywhere from court cases in Israel to dictionary.com—before concluding that, essentially, it means “yes.”
Why it matters: The ruling sets a precedent in Canada for using emojis as signatures and is an acknowledgment of how ingrained those silly little symbols are in modern communication.
- "This court cannot (nor should it) attempt to stem the tide of technology and common usage,” Keene said. “This appears to be the new reality in Canadian society."
Bottom line: Take this as a reminder to be careful with what emojis you send. It could cost you.—QH
