Acc to Saudi Law, the WhatsApp sender of the 'red heart' emoji can be imprisoned along with a fine

In Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), a person can be punished severely if the person is found guilty of sending a 'red heart' emoji. According to reports, the accused can be imprisoned for up to two years and a fine of 100,000 SAR (around Rs 20 Lakh) can be imposed on the person. In a statement, Moataz Kutbi, a member of Saudi Arabia's Anti-Fraud Association said that sending 'red hearts' on WhatsApp might be considered a "harassment offence". But it appears that the country has not banned the use of the said emoji, the receiver can still report the use if he or she finds it offensive.

Kutubi adding further said that "According to the anti-harassment system of Saudi Arabia, harassment is defined as any statement, act, or gesture with a sexual connotation made by a person towards any other that touches his/her body or honor or infringes his/her modesty by any means, including modern technology. This contains emojis associated with sexual connotations according to social convention, such as red hearts and red roses."

Report by Chetan

Graphics by Abhishek