(MENAFN) A Washington-based human rights organization has initiated legal proceedings against Apple, alleging the technology corporation has misled purchasers by falsely guaranteeing that minerals in its products are ethically procured from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) without child exploitation.

International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) lodged the complaint Tuesday with the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, invoking the jurisdiction's Consumer Protection Procedures Act.

In a Wednesday media release, IRAdvocates contended that Apple's cobalt and tantalum procurement networks continue facilitating forced child labor, ecological destruction, corrupt practices, and armed conflict across DR Congo and adjacent Rwanda, contradicting corporate assertions regarding "100% recycled cobalt" and comprehensive supply chain monitoring.

"We are bringing this lawsuit… to hold Apple accountable for misleading the public and profiting from human rights abuses in its supply chain," stated Terrence Collingsworth, IRAdvocates Executive Director.

The advocacy group identified Apple's cobalt providers as including Anglo-Swiss multinational Glencore—which has admitted guilt to bribery violations in the US and incurred an approximately $900 million tax sanction in DR Congo—alongside Chinese enterprise Huayou Cobalt, whose "subsidiary operates artisanal mines rife with forced labor."

The Central African nation dominates global cobalt production, supplying a critical battery component for consumer electronics spanning mobile devices to electric vehicles. This marks another chapter in Apple's legal entanglements over DR Congo minerals, as the region endures persistent eastern violence connected to numerous armed factions battling the government over resource control.

Belgium initiated an investigation earlier in 2025 examining accusations that the corporation produces devices using "blood minerals," following international legal representatives for the Congolese government submitting formal complaints in France and Belgium during December 2024.

Apple has indicated it "strongly disputes" the charges and instructed suppliers in 2024 to cease acquiring specific minerals from Congo and Rwanda. In France, prosecutors dismissed proceedings, referencing insufficient evidence.

IRAdvocates previously pursued litigation against Tesla, Apple, and additional technology firms regarding cobalt procurement, though US courts rejected that action last year. Through its current legal challenge, the organization seeks judicial orders preventing Apple from "engaging in deceptive marketing and advertising."

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