THE BUZZ!
African nation threatens Apple with legal action over alleged “blood minerals” in its gadgets
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is raising serious accusations against tech giant Apple. They claim Apple’s iPhones and Macbooks contain minerals smuggled out of the DRC and obtained through unethical means.
The DRC government sent a fiery letter to Apple, demanding answers about their supply chain. They suspect it may be tainted with human rights abuses, and want Apple to explain how they source these minerals.
In the letter, the lawyers said, “it has become clear to us that year after year, Apple has sold technology made with minerals sourced from a region whose population is being devastated by grave violations of human rights. The iPhones, Mac computers, and accessories that Apple sells to its customers around the world rely on supply chains that are too opaque and that are tainted by the blood of the Congolese people.”
The letter also threatens legal action if Apple doesn’t change its practices.
Apple, on the other hand, says they only use ethically sourced minerals, and they track their minerals carefully. But the DRC isn’t convinced; they want proof.
The DRC is like, I hear what your mouth is saying, but… prove it.
So we will see what happens next with this.
Source: CBS
