The human rights organisation has blamed Apple, Samsung and Sony for sourcing Cobalt from mines where children as little at 7 years of age are used as workers.
Human rights organisation, Amnesty, has accused tech giants Apple, Samsung and Sony of using child labour to procure raw materials for their smartphone manufacturing process. The report goes on to reveal that children as young as 7 years of age are being made to work in Cobalt mines in Congo. Cobalt is one of the key ingredients of a smartphone's battery, which is mostly made of lithium.
This may be a fact that many of us ignore, but for a long time, our smartphones have promoted one of the deadliest wars in Eastern Africa. Conflict materials sourced from highly violent and unstable regions in Eastern Congo are being used in our smartphones. No doubt that our smartphones are mordern marvels, but under the skeleton, is a story of rape, child labour and a full-fledged arms race. Devices that house materials sourced in such conditions are referred to as – Blood Phones. Coltan is also another prescious material that features in most gadgets such as smartphones, portable players, tablets and laptops, and the same is also procured from Eastern Africa. More than 6 million people have died in the region due to conflicts that arise because of the trade of such materials.
As expected, Apple, Samsung and Sony have denied the knowledge of such activites and have issued statements regarding their zero tolerence policies towards child labour. This has been a continuous practice of most companies that come under the lens when it comes to blood technologies. Certified green zones are the need of the hour, when it comes to procuring precious minerals for gadgets. Let us know your thoughts on the subject in our comments section below.
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