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Like when cigarettes are replaced with lollipops in cartoons, you can debate if it does anything for kids or changes the meaning of a show or even matters at all, but you call it censorship. That's what it is, by definition.

If emojis are speech then removing a particular one sure looks like censorship. Many people do consider them a form of speech, both socially and legally. For example, a thumbs up emoji can be considered agreeing to a contract.

Does the smiling face emoji look like a real face? No, it's a cartoon representation. Same for the handgun, which was replaced by a handgun that is also a cartoonish toy water gun. If anything it was brought more in-line with the rest of the icon style.

It wasn't removed, it was augmented.

That's a wild argument when the vast majority of emojis are designed to look like the real version.

I'm being censored because the sandwich emoji isn't a hoagie.

avoiding the terminology for a second, was the change for the better or worse?