Blood minerals replacing blood diamonds?

[questionmark]

A crackdown in the US is forcing technology firms to come clean about the source of the minerals used in their smartphones and electronics

SMARTPHONE makers would prefer not to talk about it. The tiny components that make your phone work could contain materials that are financing a number of bloody conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The vast natural wealth of the country has helped fund decades of fighting between armed groups that has forced more than 2.75 million people from their homes, in addition to ongoing killings, torture and abductions.

Last week the US Securities and Exchange Commission's deadline passed for 1200 US-listed companies to report on whether any metal in their microchips comes from mines controlled by these militias. But while a few, like Intel, provided independently audited reports to the SEC, the majority filed reports saying their sources of tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold – collectively known as the 3TG metals – were "DRC conflict indeterminable".

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[Dark_Grey]

REAL first-world problems...

Edit to add--

I encourage people to recycle their old devices instead of just hucking them. The materials go right back in to production and that translates to obvious benefits here

Edited June 13, 2014 by Dark_Grey

[Keel M.]

Edit to add--

I encourage people to recycle their old devices instead of just hucking them. The materials go right back in to production and that translates to obvious benefits here

I would, but I'm paranoid about any personal information they might be able to get even after a factory reset.