The Bakersfield City Council Just Voted Unanimously to Ban 'Untraceable Emoji Currency' Used in Underground Market Trades
The Bakersfield City Council has passed a controversial ordinance banning the use of "emoji-based currency" in peer-to-peer transactions, claiming the symbols—like the fire emoji and the money bag emoji—are being used to conduct untraceable deals for goods and services in the city's underground market. The council argues that the emojis, often sent via encrypted messaging apps, have become a substitute for cash. However, fact-checkers found this claim to be **false**. There is no record of any such vote in Bakersfield city council minutes, and local law enforcement confirmed no investigation into "emoji currency" exists. The viral snippet appears to be a satire of digital privacy fears, but users are sharing it as real, causing confusion among residents.