US Government Now Requires Manufacturers To Label Conflict Gadgets From Congo
![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]](http://nexus404.com/Blog/thumbnailimages/alt/Congo-MapTFTSThumb220153.jpg)
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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The TFTS Team
i will tell the truth that almost every big electronic manufacturers make their stuff with conflict materials from congo, especially lap tops,plasma TVs,mobile phones and so on…….,not for the benefit of the people who live around there, instead the bring unpeace to the territory in which thousands of people were living in peace.
almost everyone in this world is using bloody stuffs come from congo including my self,
because i use mobile phone ,laptops,TVs,…etc…which i don’t even know where exactly they come from.
i am congolese and i wish to see one day that my country is living in peace as all other countries like: usa, france, england and so on.
please help congo make it by saying NO TO BLOODY MATERIALS COME FROM CONGO(DRC).
Only Congo alone can solve all the problem in this world only if they let us live in peace.
the UN has been in congo for decades,but nothing never change, they created again MONUC to came for cover but still nothing has ever change, so why are they still there and what is really their mission in congo? if the war never stop even for one year.