TikTokers abandon vaping due to concerns over Congo cobalt mining

Numerous young adults on TikTok are making a pledge to quit vaping and get rid of their e-cigarettes. However, their motivation behind quitting is not for health reasons. Micah Ndango, a 21-year-old who has been vaping for five years, posted a video on TikTok stating that he is quitting vaping to support the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo). The DR Congo is a major source of cobalt, a crucial component of lithium-ion batteries used in mobile phones, electric vehicles, and e-cigarettes. The country is currently facing one of the world's largest humanitarian crises and has been plagued by armed groups and conflicts. Many people have been displaced, and civilians are being targeted. In light of recent unrest, social media users have started questioning the role of international companies and consumers in contributing to DR Congo's problems. Ndango, who lives in the United States, first learned about the impacts of cobalt mining in the DR Congo through a TikTok video. This prompted her to conduct her own research on the subject. Reports from organizations like Amnesty International have found that multinational companies involved in copper and cobalt mining in the DR Congo have forcibly evicted entire communities and committed human rights abuses. The US Department of Labor also added lithium-ion batteries to its list of goods produced by child or forced labor based on evidence of children mining cobalt in the DR Congo. Thousands of children work in terrible conditions, missing out on education, to produce cobalt for these batteries. While Ndango acknowledges that online activism may have limited impact, she believes that her videos can at least raise awareness about the issue. She recognizes the power of social media as a communication tool and hopes to use it to spread awareness. Many TikTok users have responded to Ndango's videos, expressing their own efforts to quit vaping. However, Christoph Vogel, a UN Security Council expert on DR Congo, warns that online activism has its limitations. It often oversimplifies complex issues and can strip agency from the communities it aims to help. Vogel emphasizes that human rights violations are not limited to cobalt mining but are prevalent in the mining industry as a whole. Despite these limitations, Ndango urges people to use their power for good and believes that a single post can reach an entire nation.