Overview
- International Rights Advocates filed the case Tuesday in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, alleging Apple devices still use cobalt and 3TG tied to child and forced labor and to armed groups in the DRC and Rwanda.
- The complaint names three Chinese smelters—Ningxia Orient, JiuJiang JinXin, and Jiujiang Tanbre—citing UN and Global Witness findings that coltan was smuggled through Rwanda before entering tech supply chains.
- The suit seeks a court declaration of unlawful conduct, an injunction to stop allegedly deceptive marketing, and recovery of legal costs, without monetary damages or class certification.
- Apple rejects the allegations, citing supplier audits, a directive to halt sourcing from the DRC and Rwanda in 2024, and a report stating there was no reasonable basis to find its smelters financed armed groups; it reports 76% recycled cobalt in 2024 devices.
- The filing references a 2025 University of Nottingham study finding forced and child labor at Congolese sites linked to Apple suppliers, and notes prior actions including a dismissed U.S. case, a French probe dropped last December, and an ongoing Belgian inquiry.