HOUSTON – Smartphone users have over 99 emojis but a rifle won’t be one.
Unicode, the organization tasked with approving and coding new emojis, was met with a firm opposition from tech giant Apple to add a rifle and pistol emoji according to Buzzfeed news.
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Apple led the decision while 12 other companies followed in its footsteps including Google and Facebook. The rifle emoji was intended to represent the biathlon, which combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting. It was one of the many Olympic sport-themed icons set to be added to the roster.
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The push to pull the trigger on this specific gun emoji caused confusion among many as Apple already has a number of other weapon emojis including the handgun, bomb, and knife.
Apple and the rest of the Silicon Valley companies have yet to comment on their anti- rifle emoji- vote. In the meantime, smartphone users shouldn’t expect the rifle emoji to make a debut anytime soon.