looks at the part emoji play in interpersonal communication. One of the aims behind their initial development was to provide a way to express those things that gestures, facial expressions, and tone of voice do in face-to-face conversation but that get lost in written communication. Emoji were seen as a way of diminishing the possibility of accidental conflict by signalling the emotional frame in which a message was meant. But they also allow for a great deal of ambiguity, and as their popularity has grown they’ve started to be used in an increasingly broad range of contexts. The chapter considers what it’s appropriate to express via emoji (and who makes these decisions). Is it deemed appropriate to use them to break up with someone? Or to send condolences about the death of a loved one? Drawing on discussions of their use by legal and political commentators, the chapter looks at how emoji have been used as evidence in legal cases and co-opted into the world of politics - so that, despite their seemingly frivolous and light-hearted roots, they’re now at the front line of debates about everything from the alt-right to post-truth politics.