Emojis as tools of collective judgment

Abstract Cancel culture has proliferated in cyberspace; groups target actions perceived as morally wrong to assert their ethical stance. These attacks aim to punish or “cancel” specific users, often in attempts to ostracize them from digital spaces, with possible real-world repercussions. In this study, we examine the pragmatic role of emojis in cancel culture discourse by analyzing Instagram comments from four prominent Brazilian cancellation cases, applying a form-to-function corpus pragmatics approach. Our findings indicated that face emojis were used most frequently, conveying users’ emotional stance, including frequent use as sarcasm cues. However, non-facial emojis referenced the reason for the cancellation or were used metaphorically to intensify the nature of the criticism. Thus, emojis not typically linked to negativity can be repurposed to express shared values and reinforce collective disapproval. Ultimately, this study sheds light on the nuanced micro-level dynamics of emoji use in cancel culture, highlighting their role in amplifying group solidarity and expressing disapproval of the target.