Sending thumbs-up emoji costs a Canadian farmer Rs 50 lakh

The fact can't be denied that many of us use that thumbs-up emoji numerous times a day during texting on social media platforms while responding to messages. But, imagine a situation where a mere thumbs-up emoji is considered as a formal acceptance of an agreement and you would be held liable for not honouring your commitment. It may sound unreal, but a recent case that happened in Canada's Saskatchewan province may now force people on digital platforms to think twice before sending a thumbs-up emoji.

A Court in Canada slapped a hefty sum on a farmer, Chris Achter, for failing to fulfill a contract after sending a thumbs-up emoticon to a potential buyer. He's now been asked to pay nearly USD 61,610 (approximately Rs 51 lakh) for failing to deliver 86 tons of flax that buyer Kent Mickleborough was looking to purchase two years ago, according to reports.

A thumbs-up emoji drags farmer to court

Mickleborough informed the court that he spoke with farmer Achter about his potential purchase, and he said that he was looking to buy the grain in November that year (2021) and texted the farmer a draft of a contract, asking him to confirm the agreement. According to reports, Achter replied to this with a thumbs-up emoji, but never delivered the flax.

Mickleborough informed the court that he had a long business history with Archter and that almost all the conversations between the two happened via texts in the past, making him believe that emoji had sealed the deal. In a sworn affidavit submitted before the court, Achter, however, argued that the thumps emoji was just to confirm that he had received the flax contract, but he did not mean to confirm the deal.

The Court of King's Bench, Justice Timothy Keene, after considering the definition of thumbs-up from Dictionary.com, stated that the thumbs-up symbol during text is used to express approval or encouragement in digital communications. The judge declared that in today's world, where people mostly deliver through emojis and hand gestures, a thumbs-up emoji can be used as a digital signature, and it is a non-traditional way of signing a contract. The ruling further ordered the farmer to pay a penalty of C$82,000 to Mickleborough for failing to deliver the product after digitally approving it.