Are there alternative methods to json_encode in PHP that can handle special characters more effectively?

When using json_encode in PHP, special characters such as accents or emojis may not be encoded correctly, leading to potential data loss or corruption. One alternative method to handle special characters more effectively is to use the JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE flag when encoding the data. This flag ensures that Unicode characters are encoded as-is without escaping.

$data = ['special_characters' => 'ééé', 'emojis' => '😊😊'];
$json = json_encode($data, JSON_UNESCAPED_UNICODE);
echo $json;