Cosmetics brand Lush is moving away from tech giants such as Meta for smaller communities, as part of its “big tech rebellion”.
The retailer is also reducing its investment on Google ads to interact with consumers in more ethically sound digital spaces such as the metaverse, with “small tech energy”.
The news comes as Lush research found that 52% of respondents believe Google and Amazon are considered trustworthy sources of ethical information.
Furthermore, 57% of shoppers feel like large corporations dominate technology and online culture, while 55% want big tech to have less control online.
“We wish to have zero reliance on the rabbit hole that is ‘trademark buccaneering’ on Google in favour of interacting with our customers in more ethically sound digital scenarios such as across the metaverse,” the company said in a statement.
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“Lush feels that we are at a parapet moment of big tech rebellion and we want to be there for the opening procession.”
Lush chief executive Mark Constantine added: “At present, there’s a lack of collaboration and goodwill among companies.”
“Many businesses are buccaneering with trademarks and IP – straight out of the pirate textbook – and this needs to change so that problems beyond the reach of a single business can be solved.”
As a result, the company has enforced an open-source policy, using open-source technologies in everything that the company designs, builds and releases throughout the Lush technology estate.
It will only use technologies that are released on an OSI-approved license and will give back its research and code under an OSI-approved license to the open communities.
“Open-source has always been part of our business, and this will only strengthen as we move into a more tech-dominated world. We want to fast forward, accelerate away from Web2 toward Web3 as quickly as possible,” Lush director Annabelle Baker said.
In addition, Lush will be adopting ethical data usage by ensuring all data that is stored on its products or systems is encrypted and secure, while remaining transparent towards customer and staff data.
The company will also be investing in Web3 spaces, with Lush chief digital officer Jack Constantine commenting: “Businesses can choose to be big players in this space or sit back and let it unfold. There’s a huge discrepancy between how it’s viewed in the media and how it’s viewed by those building in it, and this needs to be addressed.”
The move follows Lush’s decision to shut down its entire UK social media channel system back in November 2021.
