Reuters reported that a new report from Amnesty International shows that cobalt used in phone, laptop and electric vehicle batteries could be from mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that use child labor.
The organization, in partnership with African Resources Watch (Afrewatch), has accused major companies like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Samsung SDI Co. Ltd. (KRX:006400) and Sony Corp. (NYSE:SNE) of lax supply chain oversight.
As quoted in the market news:

It is a major paradox of the digital era that some of the world’s richest, most innovative companies are able to market incredibly sophisticated devices without being required to show where they source raw materials for their components,” Afrewatch executive director Emmanuel Umpula said.
In a statement issued in response to Amnesty’s research, Apple said it had a zero tolerance policy towards child labour and was evaluating ways to improve its identification of labour and environmental risks.
Samsung SDI said it conducted written evaluations and on-site inspections of all suppliers to certify compliance with human rights, labour, ethics, environment and health standards.
Sony did not respond to emailed requests for comment.

Click here to read the full Reuters report.