A United States-based advocacy group has filed a lawsuit in Washington, DC, alleging that Apple Inc. uses minerals linked to human rights abuses and armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. The lawsuit follows similar actions targeting other tech companies, including Tesla, which were dismissed in U.S. courts last year.

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Background of the Lawsuit

International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates), a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing human rights abuses through litigation, filed the complaint in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on Tuesday. The group claims that Apple’s supply chain continues to include cobalt, tin, tantalum, and tungsten connected to child and forced labor and armed groups operating in the DRC and Rwanda.

The lawsuit does not seek monetary damages or class certification. Instead, it requests the court to:

• Declare Apple’s conduct violative of consumer protection law
• Issue an injunction to halt alleged deceptive marketing
• Reimburse legal costs

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Alleged Supply Chain Violations

The complaint highlights three Chinese smelters – Ningxia Orient, JiuJiang JinXin, and Jiujiang Tanbre – which processed coltan reportedly smuggled through Rwanda after armed groups seized mines in eastern DRC.

According to IRAdvocates, a 2025 University of Nottingham study documented forced and child labor at DRC sites linked to Apple suppliers. The lawsuit further claims that Apple’s recycling accounting methods could allow the mixing of conflict minerals with recycled materials, undermining the company’s claims of ethical sourcing.

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Previous Legal Actions and Global Context

• In December 2024, French prosecutors dropped a similar case against Apple subsidiaries over conflict minerals due to lack of evidence.
• A related investigation in Belgium remains ongoing.
• Apple has consistently denied sourcing minerals from conflict zones or using forced labor, citing audits and its supplier code of conduct.

The DRC supplies roughly 70% of the world’s cobalt, along with significant amounts of tin, tantalum, and tungsten, essential for electronics, batteries, and smartphones. Congolese authorities report that armed groups in eastern DRC use mineral profits to fund ongoing conflicts that have killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands, prompting stricter mineral controls.

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Apple’s Response

Apple has maintained that there is “no reasonable basis” to conclude that any smelters or refiners in its supply chain finance armed groups in the DRC or neighboring countries. In 2024, the company reported that 76% of cobalt used in its devices was recycled, though IRAdvocates contends that this accounting method may obscure conflict-linked sources.

The tech giant has not yet commented on the latest lawsuit. On Wall Street, Apple’s stock rose 0.8% following news of the legal action.