Russia Is Investigating Apple Because Of This Emoji

Apple is under investigation from the Russian Government after an official complaint from Orthodox activist and lawyer Yaroslav Mikhailov who said that the same-sex couple (and family) emojis violated Russia’s homosexual propaganda law.

https://twitter.com/VeryVeriViral/status/648039771655274496

The law prohibits any public “endorsement” of homosexuality, which can include something as simple as a same-sex couple holding hands, sharing a tender hug, or…emojis, apparently.

https://twitter.com/soragon/status/648008816093626368

The same-sex coupe emojis were added by Apple earlier this year, and have garnered the ire of numerous Russian lawmakers from pretty much the very second they launched. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the gay emojis last summer, with another Russian official saying that the emojis represented,

“The spread on social media of untraditional sexual relations among minors” that “denies family values.”

Interestingly enough, Russia has also previously claimed that U2’s Songs of Innocence album was also homosexual propaganda.

If Apple is found guilty they could be fined 1 million rubles, which would be just over $15,000 USD.