FACT BRIEF

Was Apple sued for allegedly using child labor in its African supply chain?

Saturday, February 13, 2021

By Lauralei Singsank

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YES

In December 2019, Apple, Alphabet, Dell, Microsoft and Tesla were sued in federal court in Washington, D.C., by 14 parents and children from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The lawsuit was filed by International Rights Advocates, a nonprofit advocating for human rights and corporate accountability. The suit accuses the five companies of aiding and abetting in the serious injury and death of children who were employed in cobalt mines that are part of the companies' supply chains.

The families seek damages for forced labor, unjust enrichment, negligent supervision and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Cobalt is an important component of lithium-ion batteries, which are used in most rechargeable electronic devices. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, more than 70% of cobalt comes from Congo.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

International Rights Advocates International Rights Advocates: Class complaint against Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Inc., Dell Technologies, Inc. and Tesla, Inc.

International Rights Advocates International Rights Advocates: Who we are

The Guardian Guardian: Apple and Google named in US lawsuit over Congolese child cobalt mining deaths

CNN Business CNN Business: Apple, Google, Microsoft, Dell and Tesla are sued over alleged child labor in Congo

International Rights Advocates International Rights Advocates: Child cobalt miners file response in opposition to tech companies’ motion to dismiss

Council on Foreign Relations Council on Foreign Relations: Why cobalt mining in Congo needs urgent attention

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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.