Big names in consumer technology have been accused of being accomplices in child deaths in the Democratic Republic of Congo, who were mining a metal integral to their devices.
Tesla, Apple, Microsoft, Dell and Google‘s parent company Alphabet have been named in a lawsuit that combats forced labour at cobalt mines, that 14 families claim led to the death or serious injury of their children.
According to the Independent UK, the case filed on Sunday by International Rights Advocates has marked the first time the tech industry has faced legal action over the source of its cobalt.
“These companies – the richest companies in the world, these fancy gadget-making companies – have allowed children to be maimed and killed to get their cheap cobalt,” said lawyer Terrence Collingsworth, who is representing the families.
Cobalt is essential in making lithium batteries widely used in millions of products sold by the tech industry.
