We had to face a tough truth this week. The fact is that we are complicit in the perpetuation of horrible crimes against humanity. And if you\u2019re reading this right now, it\u2019s likely that you are too. \n\nIf you\u2019re an enthusiastic user of the useful tech products made by the likes of Apple, Sony and Samsung (as we are), then you\u2019re contributing to the on-going exploitation of children as young as seven years of age in the Democratic Republic of Congo.\n\nIn this week\u2019s episode of the African Tech Round-up, Tefo Mohapi and Andile Masuku discuss the disturbing implications of an expos\xe9 recently put out by Amnesty International and African Resources Watch (Afrewatch), which names and shames leading technology manufacturers who use cobalt sourced in the DRC in lithium-ion batteries found in their products. (Fast fact: The DRC produces at least 50% of the world's cobalt.)\n\nThere\u2019s no doubt that there\u2019s an argument for how companies and governments need to be held to account, but we as consumers need to realise that ultimately, it is we who wield the greatest economic leverage to influence commercial and political interests to act ethically. \n\nThe pertinent question is therefore less, \u201cWhat will they do about it?\u201d but more, \u201cWhat are we going to do about it?\u201d\n\nMusic Credits:\nMusic by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)\nMusic licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0