Twitter Star Wars emojis (Photo : Facebook)
Several companies and online publications have made suggestions to add to the Internet's emoji collection, whose Unicode approval process involves a special organization. Many web companies and services sell emoticon packs that could include an okayed taco icon from Taco Bell, although Twitter does not sell its Star Wars mini pics. There is even a media campaign on operating systems for Android and iPhone smartphones, to launch a World Emoji Day.
Web users can vote on which images should become new additions to emoji keyboards, which are on most mobile devices. Candidates in a Reddit campaign include a rainbow flag and bacon strips.
However, web-based campaigns do not always result in emojis. They are regulated by an organization called The Unicode Consortium, and phone makers can only choose ones that make the approved list.
The group considers several factors before selecting new emoji images. They include uniqueness, usage level, and platform compatibility.
Some of the suggestions are already candidates for Unicode to consider. The group will name the new emojis in June 2016.
Other suggestions such as the taco emoji have earned Unicode's approval, yet are unavailable to smartphone users, even though it green-lit over 230 emojis last year, according to The New York Times. For example, Apple iPhones include just one of those.
This year Unicode teamed up with Apple to add over 300 emoticons to iPhones. They chose more skin color options, 32 more national flags, and same-sex parents.
The latest additions total 41 little pictures. They include a "nerd face" and unicorn.
Emoji packs have become big business, with several online services charging for them. However, Twitter does not, according to .Tech Crunch.
Some netizens have argued that Twitter should get royalties for custom emojis created for big events, such as the recent tiny pics of Star Wars characters. Twitter's first emoji was launched during the 2010 World Cup.
The social network uses them as a visual form of self-expression while users are in the moment during big events. The goal is to make tweets more "fun" and "unexpected."
