Have emojis changed the world?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: Have emojis changed the world?
Position‹4 of 4: Yes, emojis have far-reaching social implications.
Argument‹2 of 3›: Emojis now influence our courts.

The use of emojis in online messages as evidence for intent, in otherwise ambiguous cases has risen dramatically in recent years. Emojis have now been the critical piece of proof in hundreds of legal cases.

The argument

Emojis perform a much more significant role in society than simple communication. Their growing prevalence in court cases illustrates how they are now influencing legal outcomes where motive is disputed. For example, a man was handed a three month prison sentence in France for texting a pistol emoji to a former partner as the image was considered 'a real threat'. In the U.S. a man was convicted of murder, not accidental death as he had argued, based on a text he had sent with the 'cross for eyes' emoji with the victim's name. This is important because motive, or intent, is frequently what the outcome of a trial depends upon. Emojis are therefore increasingly the key piece of evidence that influences the outcome in high profile legal cases.

Context

Emojis are appearing more and more as evidence in courtrooms. A study by Santa Clara Law professor Eric Goldman showed that between 2004 and 2019, the number of reported cases involving emojis had jumped from 1 to over 100.

Premises

[P1]Emojis increasingly appear in court cases, showing they influence legal outcomes where motive is disputed. [P2] A French man was jailed for texting a pistol emoji deemed a real threat, and a US man was convicted of murder partly on a 'cross for eyes' emoji sent with the victim's name. [P3] Because trials often turn on intent, emojis can become the key piece of evidence shaping high-profile verdicts. [C] Therefore, emojis now influence our courts.

Counter-arguments

Criminal cases are very complex. While emojis might be considered as evidence in wider arguments about intent, they are one component of a much wider discussion. Goldman's research illuminates evolving modes of communication. However, 100 cases remains very insignificant within the wider context: in the US there were 81,553 criminal case filings in district courts alone.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P3] Emojis are not the sole factor influencing legal outcomes. Criminal verdicts are determined by a multitude of factors of which emojis are one.