Survey finds 1 in 7 Canadians agree with Sask. court that emojis can be legally binding

A recent survey has found that many Canadians agree with a Saskatchewan court ruling that said a thumbs-up emoji can be legally binding.

The case was a dispute between two companies, with the Swift Current justice ruling that a thumbs-up emoji sent via text message could be considered an agreement to a proposed contract.

Justice T. J. Keene ordered a Saskatchewan farmer involved in the case to pay $82,200 in damages plus interest and court costs.

The Willful survey of 1,500 Canadians done by Angus Reid found that one out of seven Canadians thought emojis could be just as binding as a signature on a contract, according to a Willful news release.

“Younger Canadians (18-34) showed greater enthusiasm for the idea (22 per cent), while eight per cent of Canadians aged 55+ expressed skepticism about it,” the release said.

The survey also found that men were twice as likely to accept an emoji as legally binding.

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When asked which emoji sign should be considered the default, 44 per cent agreed it was the handshake emoji, with 41 per cent saying a check mark.

In the Saskatchewan farmer’s case, the court didn’t hold him liable just because of the emoji, but because the two parties had a documented history of making business agreements over text message with one-word or emoji responses. Your mileage may vary.