Apple has faced lawsuits, protests, and scrutiny over allegations that its products contain conflict minerals sourced from armed groups in Africa. In a recent SEC filing, the company reiterated its stance against using such materials.

The tech giant requires all smelters and refiners of tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG) in its supply chain to participate in independent third-party audits annually. Apple terminates business relationships with suppliers who fail these audits or do not meet its standards. In 2025, there were no supply chain partners that failed to meet Apple's requirements.

However, the company admitted it cannot always determine the countries of origin of the 3TG in its products, as smelters and refiners report this information at an aggregate level. Despite Apple's claims, the effectiveness of its Supplier Code of Conduct has been questioned, and allegations of conflict mineral use persist.