March 19 2024- A federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit targeting major tech companies including Apple, Google, Tesla, and others for alleged use of child labor in cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The court ruled unanimously that while the plaintiffs had standing to bring the case, they failed to meet the legal requirements to pursue their claims against the companies. The court stated that purchasing cobalt through the global supply chain doesn’t constitute participation in a venture under federal anti-trafficking law. Although cobalt suppliers and subsidiaries were implicated in forcing children to work, the court found no evidence of shared enterprise between the tech companies and the suppliers.
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/03/05/tech/big-tech-child-labor-congo-lawsuit/index.html
