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International Rights Advocates again sues Apple over Congo conflict minerals

MacDailyNews

Nov 26

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A Washington-based U.S. advocacy group has sued Apple alleging that the company uses conflict minerals tied to human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, despite Apple’s repeated denials.

The same group, International Rights Advocates, previously brought a similar cobalt-sourcing lawsuit against Apple, Tesla, and other tech companies, but U.S. courts dismissed the case last year.

Maxwell Akalaare Adombila and David Lewis for Reuters:
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French prosecutors also dropped Congo’s case against Apple subsidiaries in December over conflict minerals, citing lack of evidence. A related criminal complaint in Belgium is still under investigation.
Apple denied any wrongdoing in response to Congo’s lawsuits, saying it had instructed its suppliers to halt the sourcing of material from Congo and neighbouring Rwanda.
IRAdvocates, a Washington-based nonprofit that tries to use litigation to curtail rights abuses, said in the complaint filed on Tuesday in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia that Apple’s supply chain still includes cobalt, tin, tantalum and tungsten linked to child and forced labour as well as armed groups in Congo and Rwanda.
The lawsuit alleges that three Chinese smelters — Ningxia Orient, JiuJiang JinXin, and Jiujiang Tanbre — processed coltan that U.N. and Global Witness investigators allege was smuggled through Rwanda after armed groups seized mines in eastern Congo, linking the material to Apple’s supply chain.

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MacDailyNews Note: Excerpt from Apple’s latest Conflict Minerals Report:

By the end of 2025, Apple plans to use 100 percent recycled cobalt in all Apple-designed batteries; 100 percent recycled tin soldering and 100 percent recycled gold plating in all Apple-designed rigid and flexible printed circuit boards; and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets across all products.

As we make progress toward these goals, we continue our work to source tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold (“3TG”) and other minerals responsibly. Although Apple does not source primary material directly from mine sites, our responsible minerals sourcing program includes requirements that apply to all levels of Apple’s supply chain.

As of December 31, 2024 — for the tenth consecutive year — 100 percent of the identified smelters and refiners in our supply chain for all applicable Apple products manufactured during 2024 participated in an independent third-party conflict minerals audit for 3TG. These audits encompassed the identified smelters and refiners that provide materials for the following Apple product categories: iPhone, Mac, iPad, AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple Vision Pro, Beats products, HomePod, HomePod mini, Apple Card, and all Apple accessories.

Based on our due diligence, including analyzing the information provided by third-party audit programs, upstream traceability programs, independent reporting, and our suppliers, we found no reasonable basis for concluding that any smelters or refiners of 3TG identified in our supply chain as of December 31, 2024 directly or indirectly financed or benefited armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (“DRC”) or an adjoining country.

In response to reports of escalating regional conflict, as well as smuggling and illegal taxation, in June 2024 Apple issued a notification to its suppliers to cease the sourcing, directly or indirectly, of 3TG for Apple parts and products from the DRC and Rwanda.

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