Federal Court Clears Tech Giants of DRC Cobalt Child Labor Accusations
A federal appeals court has dismissed a case accusing major technology companies, including Alphabet, Apple, Dell Technologies, Microsoft, and Tesla, of complicity in child labor practices within cobalt mining operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Sixteen plaintiffs, representing children allegedly affected by cobalt mining, brought the case to court.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled in favor of the technology companies, stating that their purchasing of cobalt did not constitute direct involvement in the use of child labor, as outlined in federal law.
Despite acknowledging the plaintiffs’ legal standing to seek damages, the court found no evidence to suggest the companies had a role beyond being buyers in the supply chain.
Circuit Judge Neomi Rao emphasized that various other parties, including labor brokers and the DRC government, share responsibility for labor trafficking.
The companies, including Dell, affirmed their commitment to upholding human rights in their supply chains and denied any intentional sourcing of products manufactured using child labor.
While cobalt suppliers such as Eurasian Resources Group, Glencore, Umicore, and Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt were implicated, they were not named as defendants in the case.
SOURCE:businessinsider.com
