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Calls to boycott Apple's newly launched iPhone 18 have started gaining attention on social media, with campaigners raising concerns over the sourcing of minerals used in electronic devices. Team Congo, a group that works on issues related to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), shared an Instagram post titled “Why Boycott iPhone 18?” Climate activist Greta Thunberg later shared the post on her Instagram Story. However, Thunberg has not issued any separate statement against Apple or the iPhone.

Why Is The iPhone Being Targeted?

Team Congo claims that minerals such as cobalt and tantalum are used in the manufacture of mobile phones and other electronic devices, with the DRC being a major source of several critical minerals. The group alleges that illegal trade in these minerals helps fund armed groups operating in the region, contributing to violence, displacement and child labour.

The DRC is the world's largest producer of cobalt and is also a major source of minerals such as tin, tantalum and tungsten. These materials are used in a range of electronic products, including smartphones, computers and batteries.

Concerns over conflict minerals from the DRC have been raised for years. Apple itself says it has systems in place to trace and audit minerals in its supply chain. In its latest conflict minerals report, the company said it found no reasonable basis to conclude that identified smelters or refiners in its supply chain had directly or indirectly financed or benefited armed groups in the DRC or neighbouring countries.

What Is Team Congo Asking Consumers To Do?

As part of its campaign, Team Congo is urging consumers to reconsider how often they replace their electronic devices.

The group is calling on people to:

• Use their existing phones for as long as possible.
• Consider buying used or refurbished phones instead of new ones when an upgrade is necessary.
• Ask whether they actually need a new phone before purchasing one.
• Question the origins and supply chains of minerals used in electronic devices.
• Avoid buying more electronic products than they need.
• Support its Congo Accountability Network (CAN) campaign.

The Team Congo post claims that more than 15 million people have died in three decades of conflict in the DRC. However, this figure has not been independently verified, and should therefore be treated as a claim made by the campaign rather than an established figure.

The DRC's mineral wealth has long been linked to conflict in its eastern region, where armed groups have operated and allegations of illegal mineral trading and smuggling have persisted. Recent investigations have also raised concerns about conflict-linked minerals entering global supply chains.

What Has Apple Said?

Apple has previously instructed its suppliers to stop sourcing tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold directly or indirectly from the DRC and Rwanda. According to Apple's 2024 Conflict Minerals Report, the company issued the instruction in June 2024 following reports of escalating regional conflict, smuggling and illegal taxation.

Apple said that, based on its due diligence and information from third-party audits, upstream traceability programmes, independent reporting and suppliers, it had found no reasonable basis to conclude that any identified 3TG smelters or refiners in its supply chain had directly or indirectly financed or benefited armed groups in the DRC or adjoining countries as of December 31, 2024.

At the same time, Apple acknowledges that tracing specific minerals through the entire supply chain remains challenging.

Legal Cases Against Apple

Apple has also faced legal scrutiny over allegations linked to minerals from the DRC.

In December 2024, lawyers representing the Congolese government filed complaints in France and Belgium against Apple's European entities, alleging that the company's supply chain could contain minerals linked to conflict in the region.

Apple has denied knowingly sourcing conflict minerals and has said it maintains strict responsible-sourcing requirements for its suppliers. Reuters reported that Apple had directed suppliers to stop purchasing the relevant minerals from the DRC and Rwanda amid the conflict.

In November 2025, the US-based International Rights Advocates also filed a lawsuit against Apple, alleging that minerals linked to child labour and armed groups had entered its supply chain.

This Is Not The First iPhone Boycott Call

The campaign against Apple over Congo's mineral resources is not new. Team Congo had also called for a boycott around the launch of the iPhone 16 in 2024.

In 2025, organisations raising concerns over minerals from the DRC reportedly staged a demonstration outside an Apple Store in London around the launch of the iPhone 17.

The latest campaign has once again brought the issue of conflict minerals, responsible sourcing and consumer electronics into the spotlight, with Team Congo urging consumers to think beyond the device itself and consider the origins of the materials used to make it.