Sending The Red Heart Emojis On WhatsApp Could Land You 5-Years Of Jail Time

Emojis help us to fill in emotional cues missing in typed conversations on social media, messaging apps, and many other platforms that allow for typed conversation. However, sending someone the red heart emoji on WhatsApp might land you in jail.

So what does the red heart emoji mean? According to emojipedia, the red heart emoji which is also known as the "love heart" or "heart symbol" is the most popular heart emoji, and it is used for the expression of love and romance.

As reported by Okaz newspaper (via Gulf News), sending "red hearts" on WhatsApp amounts to a "harassment crime" and that the use of "some images and expressions during online chats may turn into a crime of harassment if a lawsuit is filed by the injured party," said Al Moataz Kutbi who is a member of the anti-Fraud Association in Saudi Arabia.

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As per Saudi cybercrime laws, if the sender of the emoji was found to be guilty of the crime, the person will receive a fine not exceeding SR100,000 and/or a jail term of two years. However, in the case of repeated violation, the fine could go as high as SR300,000 along with 5 years of jail time.

"According to the anti-harassment system, harassment is defined as every statement, act, or gesture with a sexual connotation made by a person towards any other that touches his/her body or honour or infringes his/her modesty by any means, including modern technology. This includes (emojis) associated with the sexual connotations according to the custom of the society, such as red hearts and red roses," Kutbi said.