According to an investigative report published by the Repórter Brasil portal, some of the gold illegally mined from the lands of the indigenous peoples of Brazil is used in Apple and Microsoft computers, as well as in Google and Amazon superservers.
Documents obtained by the portal showed that in 2020 and 2021, these tech giants bought gold from several refineries, including Italy’s Chimet, which was being investigated by the Brazilian Federal Police for the destination of ore illegally mined from the lands of the Cayapo indigenous peoples. , as well as Marsam, whose supplier is accused by the Federal Public Ministry of causing environmental damage due to the illegal acquisition of gold.
Mining on Brazilian indigenous lands violates the country’s constitution, despite efforts by the current Brazilian government led by President Jair Bolsonaro to legalize it.
According to Repórter Brasil, the discovery that four tech companies were using illegal gold mined in Brazil came about because Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon are required to submit a list of their suppliers to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). not only gold, but also tin, tungsten and tantalum, and it was in these documents that transactions with the Brazilian and Italian companies under investigation were proven.
“The documents refer to acquisitions made in 2020 and 2021, but in reports prior to these, two refineries were also listed as suppliers,” reports Repórter Brasil.
Of the four companies mentioned, only Apple responded to a question about the case.
In May, Apple released a memo saying its “responsible sourcing standards are the best in the industry and strictly prohibit the use of illegally mined minerals.”
Two months after this first contact, the report was again questioned by Apple, who said in a note that they had removed Marsam from the supplier list. Chimet, however, remains the supplier.
Google, Microsoft and Amazon said they would not comment but did not deny purchases from Chimet and Marsam. Emails sent to Reporter Brasil detailed various social and environmental damages caused by illegal mining in the Amazon, as well as an investigation by the Brazilian Federal Police and Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Illegal mining is considered by environmentalists as one of the main threats to the Brazilian Amazon and, in their opinion, is far from artisanal, as required by Brazilian law.
While some countries have regulations controlling the import of gold and other minerals mined in high-risk areas such as local and environmental reserves, Brazil is not on this list.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
