Use of WhatsApp emojis to mock people can land you in jail

If you are in Oman you must not indulge in using WhatsApp emojis to mock people lest it can get you in trouble.

Sending emojis of Omani and non-Omani characters in “sarcastic and inappropriate positions” through the messaging app constitutes a misdemeanor in the Omani Penal Code and could result in a sentence of imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years and a fine of no more than OMR (Omani Riyal) 5000.

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“Lately, emojis of Omani and non-Omani characters have spread through the WhatsApp application for Omani and non-Omani personalities, in inappropriate positions or with sarcastic expressions,” the Times of Oman quoted a local lawyer as saying.

“Designing and sending, through WhatsApp, emojis of people’s pictures and placing them in a ridiculous form or in mocking terms, without the consent of the other party, is a violation and an encroachment on the private life of individuals.”

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The lawyer said: “This act is a misdemeanor in the Omani Penal Code and results in a sentence of imprisonment for a period no less than one year and not exceeding three years, and a fine of no less than OMR 1000 and not more than OMR 5000 or one of these two penalties.”