Farmer Suffers Financial Loss of Rs 50 Lakh After Sending Thumbs Up Emoji
A farmer from Saskatchewan, Canada, found himself facing a hefty fine of nearly Rs 50 lakh ($61,610) due to a text message contract he received, despite simply sending a thumbs up emoji.
This came to light when Achter failed to deliver 86 tonnes of linen to buyer Kent Mickleborough in 2021 – as he had inadvertently contracted.
According to the BBC, farmer Chris Achter claimed to have sent a thumbs-up emoji to confirm he had received the contract, but his buyer misinterpreted it as a contract agreement.
How did it happen?
Mickleborough sent Achter the contract document and asked him to confirm it. Achter responded with a thumbs up emoji, which Mickleborough misinterpreted as Achter agreeing to the deal. This was because Achter had previously agreed on contracts via text message.
But Achter later said that had been misinterpreted and he was “just confirming that I received the linen contract” and was not “confirmation” that he had accepted the terms of the contract.
Court decision
“This court readily recognizes that the thumbs up emoji is a non-traditional way of ‘signing’ a document,” the court’s judge, Justice Keene, stated. “However, under the circumstances, this was a valid way of expressing the dual purpose of the ‘signature,'” he said.
This is undoubtedly a peculiar way to lose money, and it highlights how digital communication – even a simple emoji – can be used in court.
