Apple and Tesla are accused in a pair of lawsuits of engaging in “deceptive marketing” of their products, by suggesting to consumers that they’re manufactured ethically and sustainably, while both companies allegedly use raw materials linked to child labor, forced labor, gang rape, torture, killings, poisoned rivers and ruined crops.

The allegations in the lawsuits filed by Washington, D.C.-based International Rights Advocates in District of Columbia Superior Court differ in certain details but each focus on Democratic Republic of Congo, where large reserves of minerals used in many consumer-technology products have led to bloody conflict and a massive humanitarian crisis.

At issue in the lawsuits are two minerals, cobalt — used in rechargeable batteries for electric cars and electronic

See Full Page