Drivers in the Australian state of Queensland are being offered the chance to buy licence plates personalised with their favourite emojis.
Motorists will get a choice of five symbols - laugh out loud, wink, sunglasses, heart and smile - under a trial scheme being rolled out by state government-owned company Personalised Plates Queensland (PPQ) from 1 March. The new emoji plates will cost between AU$160 (£88) to AU$500 (£274), reports the Daily Mail.
PPQ said the emojis would be part of the so-called “background” of the plate, and would not be part of the vehicle’s official registration.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“For quite some time we’ve seen that you can support your favourite team or your favourite town with a symbol on your number plate,” Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) spokesperson Rebecca Michael told Australian TV network 7 News. “And using an emoji is no different.”
But Bill Potts, president of the Queensland Law Society, fears the emoji plates could cause confusion, reports regional news site Brisbane Times.
“Clearly the government is trying to sex up number plates, with a view to making more money, and I can understand that,” Potts said. “But the purpose of number plates is for the police to be able to identify vehicles.
“How do you write down the emoji in your number plate after an accident?”
-
‘The worry is far from fanciful’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
How are Americans bracing for the end of SNAP?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION Millions depend on supplemental federal food funds that are set to expire this month, as the government shutdown begins to be acutely felt
-
Book review: ‘Joyride: A Memoir’Feature A journalist’s story of how she chased and accomplished her dreams
-
Sanae Takaichi: Japan’s Iron Lady set to be the country’s first woman prime ministerIn the Spotlight Takaichi is a member of Japan’s conservative, nationalist Liberal Democratic Party
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of TaiwanIn the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdownIN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American citiesUnder the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctionsThe Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designationThe Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
