Earlier this week the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo filed a lawuit against Apple, the maker of iPhones and other computers for their use of “blood minerals” in its supply chain.
The conditions of the extraction and marketing of these minerals as well as the complex situation in eastern DRC, where millions of people have died in recent decades is the issue. According to reports the lawsuit accuses Apple of purchasing minerals such as cobalt, copper, and gold from artisanal mines in DR Congo, which are often linked to human rights abuses and environmental degradation.
