US Government Now Requires Manufacturers To Label Conflict Gadgets From Congo [Gadgets Made From "Conflict Minerals" Now Required To Be Labeled, But It May Have Negative Effect On Congolese People]

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With popular coverage, you may have heard of the so-called “conflict diamonds” in Africa. You may also be aware of alleged human rights issues in high-tech plants in China. But are you aware that your gadget may also be made from “conflict materials”? A new US law requires technology manufacturers to label their gadgets if they used materials from Congo.

War-torn Congo is the major supplier for several main industrial metals used in consumer electronics – tin, tungsten and tantalum. Gold is also produced by Congo. As with conflict diamonds coming from elsewhere in Africa – the fear is that local rebels are producing these metals and selling them to the first-world. The money from the sales then goes back into guns and continues to fuel the violence.

According to the AP, a recently popular YouTube video was modeled after the famous Apple’s “I’m a Mac” ads and alleged that “a lot” of electronics manufacturers used ‘conflict materials’ in their products, although according to the AP, the actual percentage is very small.

Regardless, the new US law – if it has it’s desired effect of lowering the export of ‘conflict materials’ may end up causing some harm to Congo. The AP mentions that for some Congolese citizens, mining is their own source of income. Allegedly, if the first-world stops buying these materials, then they could be out of work. As with most things of this nature, the answer isn’t clear-cut.

If your favorite tech gadget was made with ‘conflict materials’, would that impact your decision to buy it?

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