Because right-wing extremists use it: ban on blue heart emoji?

Online posts are currently causing outrage that the blue heart emoji, which is popular with AfD supporters, should be banned. Is that even true?

Munich – Anyone who is regularly on social media may have noticed a post that is currently appearing frequently: “The Office for the Protection of the Constitution is examining a ban on the blue heart emoji in the networks.” It can be found noticeably often on Tiktok, but it also appears on Reddit and Facebook. What's it all about? And what does the blue heart have to do with the AfD? The research network Corrective has taken care of the matter.

Because the explosiveness cannot be dismissed out of hand. Correctivewhich the AfD leader recently compared to the Stasi, has found that the blue heart emoji is used above average in AfD-related posts. It is said that it serves as an identification mark for the party and its sympathizers. The color blue is obvious, after all it is the official color of the Alternative for Germany, which is currently receiving high approval ratings in surveys. But the heart is also often used by members of radical organizations such as the “Identitarian Movement” or individual fraternities.

“The Office for the Protection of the Constitution is examining the ban on the blue heart emoji”: Outrage over reports online

If you search the internet for the meaning of the blue heart, you will read again and again: It stands for trust, connection, but also security, faithfulness and loyalty. But it also represents a campaign by the United Nations. The “Blue Heart” campaign is a global initiative to combat drugs and crime.

Now users who obviously share right-wing or AfD-affiliated content are apparently worried that the heart could be banned. It is claimed in social networks that the Austrian or German Office for the Protection of the Constitution is considering a ban. It is also alleged that networks were ordered to report people who use the blue heart emoji. They would be considered right-wing radicals.

Should the blue heart emoji be banned on social media? Correctiv provides the answer

But is that actually true? Corrective fact-checked the claims. The result: everything was made up. The research network asked the responsible authorities in Germany and Austria. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution responded that the office is neither issuing bans nor is it considering a “ban on blue heart emojis”. The Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, which is responsible for the protection of the constitution in Austria, also rejected the question of a ban review. Not all users of the blue heart emoji are considered right-wing radicals.