Senior Tory divides opinion after claiming online trolling can be eliminated with emojis

Tory parliamentary candidate Penny Mordaunt is campaigning for six new emojis to be added to the lexicon in an attempt to tackle abusive behaviour online, and not everyone agrees that this is the best way to do it.

Mordaunt launched the #GoodMannersEmojis campaign, a collection of six anti-bullying emojis, including one for “anonymous abuse,” “Whistleblower,” “Yellow card,” “That won’t do” and “Sending support.”

Taking to Twitter, she shared a video with sketches of the emojis, writing: “Fed up of the lack of options to respond to rudeness on social media? Are you one of the ‘silent majority’ that feels powerless to make twitter a nicer place to be?”

Today I am launching a global call for these #GoodMannersEmojis to be included in the standard emoji keyboard.

The reactions were varied... from those who don't think it's a good way of combating abuse online

While some people thought the additional emojis would help curb online abuse

Others thought that, whilst well intentioned, it will actually increase abuse online

And then there are those critical Mordaunt for not focusing on more important issues

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