| More Diverse Emojis on the Way |
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By: Jessica Cherok |
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 Apple has been criticized for not providing a diverse enough set of emojis for the iPhone and iPad. Even after releasing gay and lesbian couple emojis, some continued to claim the company was not including enough diversity.
Now Apple is bringing more color to the emoji keyboard. There will be a variety of skin tones, same-sex couples, more family icons, as well as over 30 countries’ flags.
But how are new emojis decided?
Unicode is the one who comes up with standards for text, numbers, as well as emojis. In other words, it’s up to Unicode to develop the diversity. In November 2014, Unicode began the process of expanding diversity in emojis.
However, just because Unicode creates new emojis, it doesn’t mean they will automatically be adopted by tech companies once released.
According to Mark Davis, co-founder and president of the Unicode Consortium, "It may be possible for a vendor to accelerate the introduction of new emoji, but it typically depends on the vendor's view of the importance of those particular characters to their users."
It is, however, safe to say that Apple, Google, and Microsoft are aware of the consumers' want for diversity, and it's simply a matter of time before a broader range of emojis is on the scene.
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Jessica Cherok is an advocate for online privacy, campaigning for ethical data practices and the protection of personal privacy.
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