Will the IRAdvocates v. Apple (DC Superior Court, filed Nov 26, 2025) conflict minerals lawsuit be settled or resolved

Resolution criteria

The market resolves YES if the IRAdvocates v. Apple lawsuit (DC Superior Court, filed November 26, 2025) is dismissed, settled, or otherwise resolved by December 31, 2028. The market resolves NO if the case remains active and unresolved by that date. Resolution will be determined by checking the DC Superior Court docket for the case status.

Background

IRAdvocates alleges that Apple's supply chain includes cobalt, tin, tantalum and tungsten linked to child and forced labour as well as armed groups in the DRC and Rwanda. The lawsuit seeks a determination by the court that Apple's conduct violates consumer protection law, an injunction to halt alleged deceptive marketing and reimbursement of legal costs but does not seek monetary damages or class certification. IRAdvocates has previously sued Tesla, Apple and other tech firms over cobalt sourcing, but US courts dismissed that case last year. French prosecutors in December also dropped a case filed by the DRC against Apple subsidiaries over conflict minerals, citing lack of evidence.

Considerations

The court dismissed IRAdvocates' previous case in 2024, stating that the companies did not control the upstream mining operations. IRAdvocates now believes the current claim stands on firmer ground. The group points to a clearer supply chain for coltan, which can be tracked from mining sites to smelters and then to parts suppliers. They argue that this traceability shows Apple used minerals tied to armed groups and forced labor.