By: Zobia Khalid, Peak Associate
Content warning: graphic descriptions of slavery, child labour, and amputation.
As millions of people rush to buy the newest iPhone every year, we fail to address that at the very core of its existence is exploitation of the Congolese people.
With the advent of cellular phones came a new feature: rechargeable batteries. This was great for our carbon footprint, as it reduced a lot of waste. However, what these batteries contain is a mineral called cobalt, which is only found in a handful of countries. 70% of cobalt is extracted from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and sold to a company in China to manufacture our phones. During the extraction process, Congolese people — including children — are forced to put their lives at risk in dangerous mines for a small amount of pay. This is something that isn’t new in our society; we can see the parallels with colonial occupation of land, and human lives for monetary return.
In 1885, King Leopold of Belgium decided to occupy and seize Congo for a “development project.” This resulted in the so-called “Congo Free State,” where forced labour and displacement were used as tactics to get minerals like rubber or ivory. In the seizure of these materials, a lot of abuse and torture occurred. People would get limbs amputated as punishment, or end up suffering from disease.
More than a century later, this abuse of power continues to play out in the DRC. These same power structures are still torturing and enslaving Congolese people, stripping them of basic rights. The systematic exploitation begins with forced evictions, where local communities are displaced from their ancestral lands to make way for mining operations. These evictions destroy entire ways of life that have sustained communities for generations. The environmental impact is just as devastating, as mining operations contaminate vital water sources and soil, making it difficult for displaced communities to maintain their agricultural practices or access food and water. Their connections to the land are completely destroyed for monetary gain that benefits wealthier countries, and this is what we support when we give money to Apple.
Mining corporations exploit class divisions by targeting vulnerable populations who lack economic alternatives. When faced with extreme poverty and limited options, many Congolese people are coerced into working in very hazardous mining conditions. This is not a choice; it’s a modern form of slavery hidden behind “economic opportunity.” More than 40,000 children are refused an entire childhood just for this. While Apple itself is not employing these workers, they knowingly fund this exploitation by continuing to source cobalt from the DRC. And although Apple is looking to India for future battery sourcing, India is also expanding their imports of cobalt from the DRC.
The smartphone industry’s murky cobalt sourcing practices show the darker side of technology, particularly in the DRC where most cobalt originates from. Tech companies claim to have sourcing efforts in Rwanda in attempts to sanitize their image, but evidence says otherwise — the vast majority of mined cobalt comes from the DRC. Cobalt is extremely toxic to humans, and the fumes from these mines have been found to cause reproductive health issues and birth defects. In a challenge to big tech’s claims, Congolese families have filed a massive lawsuit to show how their children are being exploited. Children have also been voicing their distress, saying they want a future free from mining.
The good news is Apple promises to switch to recycled cobalt by 2025, but moving forward still requires a fundamental shift in how we approach resource extraction and technology production. Companies need to implement fair compensation and safe working conditions, and grant fair economic opportunities to the communities they source from. But what can we as individuals do? Apple isn’t the only smartphone company sourcing materials made through slavery and child labour. However, they are the most popular brand, and people buy new devices from them on a yearly basis.
While it’s hard to make perfect decisions under capitalism, that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything. We can and should base our purchases on where companies source their materials for phones. Look into refurbished options if you need a new phone, or see if your phone can be repaired. Checking the repairability score of different models is another tip that can help guide your purchasing. At the end of the day, our society’s obsession with continually upgrading to the latest devices has conditioned us to believe overconsumption is a necessity. This not only leads to environmental harm, but contributes to injustices.
