At least one group in the US has sued Apple (AAPL.O) in Washington, DC, saying that the company uses minerals which have been linked to war and human rights abuses in the DRC and Rwanda. Apple has rejected these claims.
International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) sued Apple, Tesla (TSLA.O), and other tech companies over where they got their cobalt, but last year, U.S. courts threw out that case.
A similar criminal charge in Belgium is still being looked into
When Congo sued Apple, Apple denied doing anything wrong and said it had told its sources to stop getting materials from Congo and the neighbouring country of Rwanda.
It didn’t answer right away when asked for feedback on the new report.
A Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit called IRAdvocates files a complaint in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on Tuesday alleging that Apple’s supply chain still includes cobalt, tin, tantalum, and tungsten that are linked to child labor, forced labor and armed groups in Congo and Rwanda.
Read also:
- Pinterest Adds AI Content Controls
- PhonePe Announces Strategic Collaboration with OpenAI to Bring ChatGPT
- Tata Sierra 2025 was introduced in India at Rs. 11.49 lakh
It is a major source of coal, tin, and tungsten
The case asks the court to say that Apple’s actions break consumer protection law. It also wants an order to stop what is said to be misleading marketing and for legal fees to be paid back. It does not ask for money damages or class certification.
According to the case, three Chinese smelters—Ningxia Orient, JiuJiang JinXin, and Jiujiang Tanbre—processed coltan that was smuggled through Rwanda after armed groups took over mines in eastern Congo. This material was then linked to Apple’s supply chain.
A study from the University of Nottingham that came out in 2025 found that Apple sellers in the Congo used forced and child labor.
When asked for comments, Ningxia Orient, JiuJiang JinXin, and Jiujiang Tanbre did not reply right away.
Congo gives the world about 70% of its cobalt and large amounts of tin, tantalum, and tungsten, all of which are used in electronics, batteries, and phones. The country did not reply right away to a request for comment. Rwanda also didn’t answer right away when asked for a statement.
NO GOOD REASON FOR LINKS TO ARMED GROUPS
Apple has said many times that it does not use materials from war zones or forced labor, pointing to checks and its partner code of conduct as proof. In December, it said there was “no reasonable basis” to believe that any of the smelters or refiners in its supply chain gave money to armed groups in Congo or countries nearby.
Authorities in Congo say that armed groups in eastern Congo use the money they make from minerals to pay for the war that has killed thousands and forced hundreds of thousands to leave their homes. To cut off funds, they have tightened controls on minerals, which has limited sources around the world.
Apple says that 76% of the cobalt in its products was recovered in 2024, but the IRA case says that its way of keeping track of money lets rock from war zones get mixed in.
