A face wearing a classic disguise, usually depicted with black-framed glasses, a fake nose, moustache, and thick eyebrows.
Most commonly, this emoji represents anonymity, especially in internet contexts, where identity is often playful, flexible, or intentionally obscured.
Introduced in the late 2010s alongside the rapid rise of social media culture, it reflects a growing awareness of online social pressure and the need to push back against it.
The emoji was designed to capture the freedom to control how much of oneself is presented online, signaling “don’t take this too seriously” or “this isn’t really me,” and adding humor or distance to what’s being shared.
You are politely responding to someone in an online community who is curious about your real identity.
Hey, why so serious? This is the internet. No one really cares who you are offline 🥸