Sonos becomes the latest brand to pull its ads from Facebook and social media

It’s been less than a week since the big Cambridge Analytica-Facebook scandal took off and the fall-out is only just getting started.

Mozilla has pulled its advertising from the Mark Zuckerberg-owned platform, but speakers brand Sonos has gone one step further by pulling the plug on all its big tech ads.

According to a blog post by Sonos, from Monday the company is removing its advertising from Facebook, Instagram, Google and Twitter.

As well, it will be going dark on its own Facebook and Instagram social accounts. This move is in solidarity with those seeking to build a healthier, more consumer-friendly tech ecosystem.

“We are concerned by the recent revelations about Facebook and the exploitation of its platform,” said Sonos.

“We believe that all people have the right to know how their data is being collected and used, and that each of us in the technology sector has an obligation to honour the commitments we make to our customers’ privacy. Big digital platforms offer us incredible opportunities to personalise and contextualise the advertising we deliver to you.

“But with the power of those capabilities comes a responsibility that can’t be neglected.”

Removing its ads from the major social media platforms, not just Facebook, is an interesting one. If anything, it makes clear that the problems don’t just stem from Mark Zuckerberg and his platforms in Silicon Valley, but all of the platforms people regularly use throughout their daily lives.

It’s easy to say “Delete Facebook”, but what’s more important is that people learn about how their data is being used by big tech, and the ramifications of ticking a Terms and Conditions box in exchange for using a “free” platform.

“Now is the time to have the hard discussions and to support those who drive things forward in an effort to make us all better technologists and more educated consumers of technology,” said Sonos.

In addition, as part of its advertising blackout, Sonos is making a donation to support RightsCon, a digital rights conference.

Organised by Access Now, RightsCon brings together tech companies and activists on equal terms to help create a healthier tech ecosystem that works for everyone, consumers and companies included.

Sonos will be an active participant at RightsCon later this year.

“For us, this isn’t about one social network or advertising platform; it’s an acknowledgement of the work we all have to do – Sonos included – to enable our industry to play a productive, empowering role in our society, in a way that works for everyone.”

Let’s hope this wider movement to hold tech giants to account carries on long past the Cambridge Analytica fall-out.