The film this week really highlighted the further implications of the products we create in a very jarring way. Directed by Frank Poulson, ‘Blood in the Mobile’ is a look into the materials that are used to manufacture our mobile phones, with a direct focus on Nokia. Many of the minerals needed, such as cassiterite and coltan, are mined in the Congo, and their sale directly contributes to the perpetuation of war. Various armies and rebel groups will profit from the sale, heavily taxing those who mined it, and then contribute to further violence in the region. This leads to a very high rate of murders and sexual assaults, as well as people working in atrocious conditions for very little money.
The part where Poulson is inside the mine filming the men chiselling into the walls is an especially disturbing scene. Even though you’re not there, you can feel the heat, the sweat and the noise all around you. The walls start to close in, and even in an open studio, you begin to feel very uncomfortable and claustrophobic. Poulson manages to film a very intense and raw scene that makes you want to escape. You can’t even begin to imagine how it must feel for the men and children, some as young as 12, who live and work down the mine shaft for days, sometimes even weeks at a time.
It’s now been 11 years since the documentary was filmed, so I did some research into whether things have changed. Short answer: not really. Somewhat unsurprisingly, bringing up the front for the company that uses the most conflict minerals is Apple. Not only does it use the most, it uses the most by a large margin. Quite frankly, I find it shocking that Apple can charge thousands for its luxury products, but still use materials that have been cheaply bought from people suffering under the worst conditions imaginable. That being said, I was actually more betrayed to find that Microsoft also uses conflict minerals. Its founder, Bill Gates, is known for his philanthropy, and he and his wife Melinda run a worldwide charity that aims to reduce extreme poverty. Bill, how could you??
Is there any hope? Well, these days Nokia isn’t even in the top 20 for companies using conflict materials, but this says more about its decline in relevance than its ethics. It has, however, now conducted reports and issued a policy addressing its usage of these minerals. This policy admits to using conflict minerals and claims to be working to source a better solution, but I somehow I doubt this to be the case. Apple also claims to be addressing the situation and does publish its supply chain. While it’s dubious as to whether any action is being taken at all, at least the transparency now exists, which is a lot more than could be said in 2011.
This all highlights another aspect to designing accessibly for everyone. There’s no point in making a shiny new product everyone in the First World can afford if it is produced off the backs of those living in extreme poverty and violence in the Third World. Just as design should not discriminate based on background and income, it also should not take advantage of people’s situations for the sake of cheap labour. In reducing prices for products, you risk exploiting this system of cheap labour for cheap materials. On the other hand, even the most expensive products utilise this system (looking at you, Steve Jobs). The EU are in the process of enacting regulations that will combat importing these materials into Europe. But for now, while these huge corporations get their acts together, it seems all we can do as designers is to be aware of the issues surrounding the materials we use, and do our utmost to avoid their usage, as well as make these issues widely known.
Morven
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