Australians warned after single thumbs-up emoji cost man $122,000
Australians warned after a single thumbs-up emoji cost the man $122,000
- Aussies warned not to use the thumbs up emoji
- Using an icon in a text message cost the man $122,000
Australians have been warned to approach the thumbs-up emoji with caution after a landmark Canadian court decision ruled it as valid as a signature.
A farmer was forced to pay a buyer $82,000 (AU$122,000) after he failed to deliver a shipment of grain following a text exchange.
A Canadian judge ruled that the buyer should be refunded after the supplier responded to their text message “Confirm flax contract” with a thumbs up emoji.
However, months later, the buyer never received the shipment of flax.
Court documents show that the farmer argued that the emoji was simply confirming that he had received the contract, not agreeing to its terms.
But a judge disagreed, saying he was pleased with the “balance of probability” that the contract was approved with the widely used icon.
Australians have been warned to approach the thumbs-up emoji with caution after a landmark Canadian court decision ruled it as valid as a signature
An Australian legal expert has since warned that judges could use the Canadian ruling as evidence in similar cases with a thumbs-up emoji.
Slater and Gordon’s head of national employment law Andrew Rich said there was “nothing” stopping an Australian judge from taking up the case.
An Australian court may take this legal decision into account when making a ruling. It can be seen as a suggestion or advice from another court,” Mr Rich said 7News.
He said Australians could get caught if their boss sends them a contract and they respond to the message with a thumbs up to confirm they’ve received it.
This can be mistakenly taken as a sign that they agree to the contract.
Mr Rich urged Australians to take the time to review legally binding contracts and seek legal advice if they felt confused or unsure.
A Canadian judge ruled that the buyer must be refunded after the supplier responded to their “Confirm flax contract” text message with a sticking-up emoji (stock image)
It comes after the thumbs-up emoji was labeled “passive aggressive” by Gen Z.
Whether the chat is informal, between friends or at work, the icon appears to have a completely different, ‘rude’ meaning for the younger generation.
A 24-year-old on Reddit summed up the Gen Z argument, saying it “can never be used in any situation,” because it’s “hurtful.”
“Nobody my age in the office does it, but the Gen X people always do it. Took me a bit to adjust and get [it] off the top of my head that it means they are mad at me,” he added.
Others agreed it’s bad form, especially at work where the team can look unfriendly and unwelcoming.