Tech Giants Allegedly Rely on Child Labor at Cobalt Mines (3)

Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc., Microsoft Corp., Dell Technologies Inc., and Tesla Inc. are facing a first-of-its-kind lawsuit by a human rights group over alleged child labor abuses in the supply chain for cobalt used in their products.

The nonprofit International Rights Advocates sued the tech companies Dec. 16 on behalf of families of children killed or injured while mining for cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where most of the supply is found.

Cobalt is a key ingredient for the rechargeable batteries that power smartphones and electric cars. The companies are accused of “aiding and ...