Apple sued over ‘deceptive’ claims
A US human rights group has sued Apple in Washington, accusing the tech giant of falsely assuring consumers that minerals used in its devices are responsibly sourced from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and free of child labor.
International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) filed the case on Tuesday in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia under the city’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act.
In a press statement on Wednesday, IRAdvocates alleged that Apple’s cobalt and tantalum supply chains remain tied to forced and child labor, environmental damage, corruption and conflict in DR Congo and neighboring Rwanda, despite the company’s claims about “100% recycled cobalt” and rigorous traceability.
“We are bringing this lawsuit… to hold Apple accountable for misleading the public and profiting from human rights abuses in its supply chain,” IRAdvocates Executive Director Terrence Collingsworth said.
According to the organization, Apple’s cobalt suppliers include Anglo-Swiss multinational Glencore, which has pleaded guilty to bribery charges in the US and faced a nearly $900 million tax penalty in DR Congo, and Chinese firm Huayou Cobalt, whose “subsidiary operates artisanal mines rife with forced labor.”
The Central African country is the world’s leading producer of cobalt, a key component in batteries used in most consumer electronics, including mobile phones and electric vehicles. This is not the first time Apple has been dragged into court over minerals from DR Congo, which has been plagued by decades of violence in the east linked to dozens of armed groups fighting the government for resources.
Earlier this year, Belgium launched an investigation into allegations that the company manufactures its gadgets with “blood minerals,” after international lawyers representing the Congolese government filed complaints in France and Belgium in December 2024.
Apple has said it “strongly disputes” the allegations and told suppliers in 2024 to stop sourcing certain minerals from Congo and Rwanda. In France, prosecutors have dismissed the case, citing a lack of evidence.
IRAdvocates previously sued Tesla, Apple, and other tech companies over cobalt sourcing, but US courts dismissed that case last year. In its latest legal action, the group is seeking to bar Apple from “engaging in deceptive marketing and advertising.”
