Apple Sued Over Alleged Links to Conflict Minerals and Child Labor

By Staff, Agencies

Apple is again under legal scrutiny following accusations that its supply chain remains tied to conflict minerals mined under abusive conditions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda.

On November 25, 2025, the International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) filed a lawsuit in Washington, DC’s Superior Court, alleging that cobalt, tin, tantalum, and tungsten used in Apple products are linked to child labor, forced labor, and armed groups.

The complaint cites a 2025 University of Nottingham study documenting forced and child labor at Congolese mining sites connected to Apple’s suppliers.

Apple rejected the allegations, claiming that 76% of the cobalt used in its Apple-designed batteries in 2024 came from recycled sources.

The company said it had instructed suppliers to halt sourcing from the DRC and Rwanda and emphasized its Supplier Code of Conduct, which it describes as enforcing “the industry’s strongest sourcing standards.”

The lawsuit highlights the grim realities of Congo’s mining sector, which supplies about 70% of the world’s cobalt.

Roughly 40,000 children — some as young as six — work in artisanal mines, digging through unstable tunnels, carrying heavy loads, and facing lethal hazards from collapses and toxic cobalt dust.

Communities around mining sites also endure severe health crises, including high rates of birth defects, respiratory illnesses, and gynecological disorders.

A 2024 report found that up to 80% of women living near artisanal mines had experienced sexual violence in a single year.