Authorities in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have said that those who send heart emojis to females will now face imprisonment of up to two years, Gulf News reported.
Sending a heart emoji to a girl or any social media website or WhatsApp is now considered a crime of incitement to debauchery which is punishable by law.
Haya Al Shalahi, who is a Kuwaiti lawyer, said that those who are charged with this crime will face up to two years in prison with a fine of up to 2,000 Kuwaiti dinars.
However, those who are convicted of this crime may face a jail term of up to two to five years with a fine of 100,000 Saudi Riyals.
A Saudi cybercrime expert said that sending red hearts to any girl on WhatsApp will be considered as harassment within the country’s jurisdiction.
Using “certain images and expressions during online conversations may turn into a harassment crime if a lawsuit is filed by the aggrieved party”, said Al Moataz Kutbi, who is a member of Saudi’s Anti-Fraud Association.
Meanwhile, the fine could also exceed up to a massive amount of 300,000 Saudi Riyals with a five-year jail term if a person continues to repeat the offence.
