Congo loses war crimes case against Apple in France

The Democratic Republic of Congo has reportedly lost its case over Apple suppliers using conflict materials in the iPhone, at least as far as one court has decided.

For months in 2024, Apple was accused of allowing its suppliers to allegedly use the so-called 3T Materials — tin, tungsten and tantalum — from the Congo, and thereby funding violent groups. Lawyers representing the Republic first asked Tim Cook and Apple's French subsidiary for a response, then in December 2024 they took the matter to court.

According to a first and very brief report by Reuters, it appears that French authorities have dismissed the case. Specifically, a report seen by the news agency says that the Paris prosecutor has closed the case against Apple.

The complaint alleged that Apple should be held accountable for crimes against humanity, because of how conflict materials are being used. The accusations also said that conflict mineral tracking body ITSCI should be discredited for being funded by the metals industry instead of being independent.

There are no further details and at time of writing there is also no record on the Paris prosecutor office's website. However, if the prosecutor had done anything but dismiss the case, it would presumably have continued on appeal, if nothing else.

Regardless of the details of the French decision, however, an identical complaint was filed simultaneously in Belgium. As yet, there is no news of what stage that Belgium case has reached.

Apple has not commented on the closing of the French case. However, in 2020 the company staged that it had dropped 18 suppliers for abusing conflict materials rules — and then in 2022, it dropped a further 12.