ESC Big Tech

This Black Friday, in a continuation of their Big Tech Rebellion (announced at SXSW in March ‘23), Lush is joining forces with the decentralised movement People vs Big Tech, to raise money for their work to rein in the handful of Big Tech companies that have monopolised the Internet with intrusive surveillance, predatory addictive-algorithms, harmful content and echo chambers.  

Launching on Black Friday, Lush ecommerce sites in the UK&I, United States, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Italy, Japan, Australia and New Zealand will sell a limited edition bath bomb called The Cloud ($10 AUD, $11 NZD), with 100% of the sales price (minus the GST) going to People vs Big Tech.  

With over 100 organisations, People vs Big Tech is taking on the outsized power of the Big Tech giants and helping secure groundbreaking victories, like sweeping new tech laws in Europe.  With new laws passing in the UK and Europe providing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to curb the Big Tech companies in Europe, the importance of communities in shaping regulation has never been more important, especially mobilising the youth.  

Tanya O’Carroll, founder of People vs Big Tech comments: “For years, a handful of tech billionaires have been running the internet like a bunch of feudal kings, harvesting and profiting from our data while their platforms wreak havoc on everything from mental health to democracy. But an amazing generation of young leaders are rising up and fighting back, united by a vision for a better online world — where children are protected from deliberately addictive apps, where we can go online and trust what we’ll see in our feeds, where we can learn, explore and connect with loved ones without being relentlessly spied on.” 

Customers will not only be able to help by buying The Cloud bath bomb ($10 AUD, $11 NZD), they can also join the Big Tech Rebellion themselves. By signing the People’s Declaration they will join an open network of concerned individuals and civil society organisations working together to challenge the power and abuses of Big Tech. 

Annabelle Baker, Global Brand Director at Lush, adds: “Black Friday is generally a time when the Big Tech companies rake in huge profits, but at what cost?  It’s important that we campaign at this critical time of year to fund movements like People vs Big Tech who are providing a pathway to a future without surveillance advertising or predatory algorithms and putting the control back into the hands of the people.”

Lush’s 2023 report conducted with The Future Laboratory (‘Digital Engagement: A Social Future’) backed this up, discovering that 65% don’t want social media brands to use their data for commercial benefit, and a huge 70% are calling for global legislation that protects the safety of users online.

Lush CDO Jack Constantine comments: “On Black Friday two years ago we announced our ‘anti-social’ policy where we removed ourselves as a brand from Meta platforms, as well as TikTok and Snapchat.  Since then we’ve taken our stance against Big Tech even further by embarking on our Digital Divestment roadmap and pushing back against the stranglehold the Big Tech 5 have on our business, our families and our communities. We’re thrilled to be working with People vs Big Tech this Black Friday, as the time has come to start actively campaigning for legislative change and enforcement to level the playing field and take back some of the control that the Big Tech companies have”. 

Brighter things are on the horizon

This Black Friday, Lush customers can buy The Cloud bath bomb ($10 AUD, $11 NZD) where 100% of the sales price (minus the VAT) will go to People vs Big Tech.  Drop into a ready run bath and amidst a swirling cloud of soothing rose and uplifting Sicilian lemon oil, users can also bathe in the knowledge that their purchase is helping to challenge the power and abuses of Big Tech.  Lay back and take back some CTRL.

Lush’s Big Tech Rebellion

For over a decade, Lush has been actively exploring digital ethics, ethical data, social media culture and the future of technology with human rights front and centre. From fighting internet shutdowns, to raising awareness of mental health impacts of social media, Lush’s overall mission is to ‘leave the world lusher than we found it’.  Tech doesn’t have to be unethical; it can be built for the greater good and impact positive social change.

Notes to editors

About PvBT

People vs Big Tech (PvBT) is a global movement fighting the power and abuses of Big Tech. Their first major priority is to ensure today’s tech titans and their legions of lobbyists are not allowed to be the dominant designers of tomorrow’s technology regulations.  For too long a small handful of tech CEOs have been allowed to trample on our rights and disrupt our communities, unleashing industrial-scale disinformation, driving hate and polarisation and preying on our vulnerabilities – all to keep us clicking and scrolling while they profit from our data.  They have conned us into giving our “consent” to grow their vast empires of personal data extraction and surveillance.  Yet while these corporations have made obscene profits from surveilling us, we the people have been left behind to bear the burden of this devastating business model.

With over 100 organisations, representing more than 71 million citizens, People vs Big Tech is taking on their outsized power, channelling public outrage into concrete action for change and helping secure groundbreaking victories, like sweeping new tech laws in Europe.

About Lush 

Lush invents, manufactures and retails fresh handmade cosmetics. A beauty company with a campaigning heart, Lush is on a mission to leave the world lusher than they found it, in essence, to give more than it takes from society and the environment.  And in a world where technology has become an essential part of every business, it is only natural Lush drives best practice when it comes to digital ethics.   

For more information please contact lushpr@lush.co.uk

Media assets available here.