Fourteen Congolese families accuse the world's great tech companies of causing death and mutilation to children exploited in mines
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerousFourteen Congolese families have sued companies that mine cobalt in the country, including Apple, Microsoft, Dell, Google and Tesla, for causing the death and serious injury of their children exploited in mines.
Some children have indeed remained killed buried alive following a tunnel collapse, while others are remained paralyzed or have suffered very serious injuries, which have changed their life forever.
In the last years the application for cobalt has significantly increased due to the production of rechargeable lithium batteries used for smatphones and laptops and to operate electric cars.
For the past five years the demand for this mineral has tripled and, according to forecasts, it could double further by the end of next year.
Over 60% of the cobalt comes mined in the mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is linked to human rights violations, corruption, environmental destruction egexploitation of child labor.
The families of the children illegally employed in mines Congolese filed a lawsuit against the world's largest technology companies on December 15, to ask damages for the forced labor of minors and compensation for wrongful enrichment, neglect, and intentionally inflicting emotional distress on children.
Among the companies involved Dell, Microsoft, Apple, Google and Tesla, called upon by the human rights organization International Rights Advocates on behalf of 14 Congolese parents.
The charge against the tech companies is that they favored the mining companies and contributed to the deaths of children and serious injuries sustained by survivors.
The children were in fact forced by extreme poverty a work illegally and in dangerous conditions for mining companies, for which they mined cobalt, hauling heavy sacks and crawling through tunnels for less than a dollar a day.
Many children worked for the British company Glencore and the Chinese company Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt, which extract cobalt in the mines of the Republic of the Congo and then resell it to Apple, Microsoft, Dell, Google and Tesla.
According to the plaintiffs, the companies were perfectly aware that cobalt mining was linked to child labor and dangerous working conditions, but that they did nothing as they received a significant economic advantage in exploiting minors for mining.
Apple, Dell, Microsoft, Google and Tesla have the authority and resources to oversee and regulate their cobalt supply chains, and failing to do so has contributed to the deaths and injuries suffered by small workers.
For these reasons, the technology companies involved must be retained accomplices in the forced labor of children, their deaths and the mutilations they suffered.
Following the allegations, Microsoft, Google and Tesla have not yet responded to requests for comment, while a Glencore spokesperson said they respect human rights and do not tolerate "any form of child labor, forced or compulsory."
Apple claims it is "deeply committed to responsible sourcing of materials for our products."
“In 2014, we were the first to start mapping our cobalt supply chain at the mine level and since 2016 we have published a comprehensive list of our identified cobalt refiners each year, 100% of which participate in independent audits of third parties. If a refiner is unable or unwilling to meet our standards, they will be removed from our supply chain. In 2019, we removed six cobalt refineries, ”Apple said.
Also Dell denied to be aware of the working conditions of children and to be involved.
“Dell Technologies is committed to the responsible supply of minerals, which includes respecting the human rights of workers at all levels of our supply chain and treating them with dignity and respect.
We have never knowingly provided transactions using any form of involuntary labor, fraudulent recruitment practices or child labor. "
It is estimated that the average lifespan of a smartphone in Europe is about 3 years: more and more often we replace our still functional phones attracted by advantageous offers and cutting-edge technologies.
To avoid contribute to the exploitation of children and workers in the mines we can undertake to buy a new smartphone or laptop only when it is essential and to resort to the second-hand market when possible or to the purchase of regenerated technological devices.
Sometimes we buy a new model of mobile phone or laptop precisely because the battery no longer works: in this case, we follow the advice of experts to recharge our devices correctly and thus ensure a long life for lithium batteries.
Read also:
- The secret of electric cars: 'they exploit child miners in Congo'
- The tragedy of child workers exposed to toxic substances to produce our gold
- The army of children that works in African mines to extract the mica that ends up in the products we use every day
Photo cover: Siddharth Kara
