Part of the gold illegally extracted from Brazilian indigenous lands is being used in computers at the Apple Lossless Audio CODEC (ALAC), and Microsoft, as well as superservers from Google and Amazon, revealed a journalistic investigation published by the portal Brazil Reporter.
Documents obtained by the portal revealed that these technology giants bought, in 2020 and 2021, gold from several refineries, including the Italian Chimet, investigated by the Brazilian Federal Police for being the destination of the ore illegally extracted from the Kayapó indigenous land, and from the company Marsam, whose supplier is accused by the Federal Public Ministry of causing environmental damage due to the acquisition of illegal gold.
According to Repórter Brasil, the finding that the four technology companies were using illegal gold mined in Brazil occurred because Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon are required to send to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a list of their suppliers, not only of gold, but also of tin, tungsten and tantalum, and it was in these documents that business with the investigated Brazilian and Italian company was proven.
"The documents refer to acquisitions made in 2020 and 2021, but reports prior to these also presented the two refiners as suppliers“, informs Repórter Brasil.
Of the four companies cited, only Apple responded when asked about the case.
In May, Apple sent a note saying that its “Responsible sourcing standards are the best in the industry and strictly prohibit the use of illegally mined minerals".
Two months after that first contact, the report questioned Apple again, which said in a note that it had removed Marsam from the list of suppliers. Chimet, however, continues as a supplier.
Google Microsoft and Amazon said they would not comment, but did not deny buying from Chimet and Marsam. The emails sent by Repórter Brasil detailed the various socio-environmental damage caused by illegal mining in the Amazon, as well as the investigation by the Federal Police and Brazilian prosecutors.
Illegal mining is considered by environmentalists as one of the main threats to the Brazilian Amazon and, according to them, it is far from operating in an artisanal way, as required by Brazilian legislation.
Although some countries have regulations that control the import of gold and other minerals extracted from high-risk areas, such as indigenous and environmental reserves, Brazil is not on this list.
