Here’s something you probably never considered. Be careful how you use emojis. A judge in Canada recently ruled that they can be “LEGALLY BINDING.” Specifically, the “thumbs up” emoji.
It seems there was a disagreement between a farmer in Saskatchewan and a company that was trying to buy his grain. A buyer for the company sent a mass text to a bunch of farmers back in 2021 trying to buy somewhere around 100 tons of grain.
One farmer, Chris Achter, called the buyer back. They talked it through a deal on the phone. After, the buyer texted Chris a message to “please confirm” the contract. Chris texted back a “thumbs up” emoji. He says he didn’t even read the contract and was just trying to let the guy know he’d received the text.
The deal fell through when Chris didn’t deliver the grain when by the deadline in the contract. So, the company sued him.
Chris’s lawyer argued emojis can mean different things, so it shouldn’t be legally binding. I kinda agree. But the judge called it a “non-traditional” and “VALID” signature. WOW! Chris had to pay over $61,000 in damages, plus interest.
Original story from (Business Insider)
