Rights Group Sues Apple Over Mineral Sourcing Claims

A Washington-based human rights advocacy group filed a lawsuit against Apple Inc. on Tuesday in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, accusing the technology company of misleading consumers about the ethical sourcing of minerals used in its devices. The suit, brought by International Rights Advocates under the city's Consumer Protection Procedures Act, alleges that Apple's supply chains for cobalt, tin, tantalum and tungsten remain connected to child labor, forced labor, environmental harm and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Rwanda.

The complaint claims that despite Apple's assertions of responsible practices, including the use of 100 percent recycled cobalt and rigorous traceability measures, its suppliers continue to source materials from problematic operations. It points to specific companies, such as the Anglo-Swiss mining firm Glencore, which has faced U.S. bribery charges and a nearly $900 million tax penalty in Congo, and Chinese processor Huayou Cobalt, linked to artisanal mines involving forced labor. The lawsuit also highlights three Chinese smelters—Ningxia Orient, JiuJiang JinXin and Jiujiang Tanbre—that allegedly...