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.
“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.”
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.”
