Tech Companies Take the Lead to Certify Conflict-Free Minerals

On June 2nd, a rule in 2010’s Dodd Frank Act took effect. It requires U.S. companies with products that might contain conflict minerals to report to the SEC on whether those metals came from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Four rare elements—gold, tin, tungsten, and tantalum—power our many devices, from computers and tablets to phones and game stations. Much of the ore that contains these metals has historically come from mines in the DRC, mines run by militias that have sold these valuable ingredients at a bargain price to fund their operations in a decades-long civil war that has cost millions of lives.