"If you want to be sure not to give blood minerals at Christmas, the best thing would be to offer apples!" quipped lawyer Robert Amsterdam, whose firm, Amsterdam & Partners, along with a group of other lawyers, filed a lawsuit on Monday, December 16, in France and plans to do the same on Tuesday in Belgium. This lawsuit, filed on behalf of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), accuses Apple of covering up war crimes, laundering and deceptive consumer practices.

More companies could soon face legal action, and lawsuits could be filed in other countries. However, according to Amsterdam, "Apple is undoubtedly one of the most symbolic targets, due to its financial strength and its unbridled communication on the theme 'We are doing good for the planet.'" The lawsuits state that Apple's supply chain in this region is "contaminated."

Like most major tech giants, Apple acknowledges indirectly sourcing the strategic minerals it needs to manufacture its smartphones, tablets and computers from the DRC and neighboring Rwanda. In order to do this, these companies use a chain of intermediaries – smelters, refineries, traders, and depot depots depot – that has been identified as being primarily responsible for the traceability of these minerals by, among others, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of 38 mainly Western countries.

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