Lush dumps social media until safer environment provided for users

From 26th November 2021, the global Lush brand will be turning its back on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Snapchat, until the platforms take action to provide a safer environment for users.  This policy is rolling out across all the 48 countries where Lush operates.  

In the same way that evidence against climate change was ignored and belittled for decades, concerns about the serious effects of social media are going largely ignored now.  Lush is taking matters into its own hands and addressing the issues now, not waiting around until others believe in the problem before changing its own behaviour.

A company statement noted, “Like so many teenagers have experienced before us, Lush has tried to come off social media, but our FOMO is vast, and our compulsion to use the various platforms means we find ourselves back on there, despite our best intentions.

So here we are again, trying to go cold (plant-based) turkey.

Having previously attempted this in 2019, our resolve has been strengthened by all the latest information from courageous whistleblowers, which clearly lays out the known harms that young people are exposed to because of the current algorithms and loose regulation of this new area of our lives.”

The statement went on to say that Lush wouldn’t ask its customers to meet down a dark and dangerous alleyway – but some social media platforms are beginning to feel like places no one should be encouraged to go. Something has to change. Lush hopes that platforms will introduce strong best practice guidelines and hopes that international regulation will be passed into law.  But it can’t wait.  It feels forced to take its own action to shield customers from the harm and manipulation they may experience whilst trying to connect on social media. 

So Lush will be signing out from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, until these platforms can provide a safer environment for their users.

Lush promises not to be completely anti-social. It says it will do all it can to find new ways to connect, to build better channels of communication elsewhere, as well as using the older tried and tested routes.  For now, Lush can still be found on Twitter and YouTube.