"Comments should get more thoughtful and substantive, not less, as a topic gets more divisive."
There are almost no computer or smartphone companies which do not participate in these markets. Samsung, Dell, HP, Lenovo (which is a Chinese company yet oddly gets ignored every time these discussions come up), Microsoft, LG, etc etc etc. All of them participate in these same industries. Most of them get little or no scrutiny even though they use many of the same supply lines Apple does and have far less in terms of transparency about their supply chain.
That would be companies like Foxconn, Pegatron (from the same founders of Asus), Wistron, Compal, etc., etc. Basically every factory that manufactures your Dell, Asus, Samsung (?), etc.
And yet the headline only says Apple. I asked why HN also used Apple in the headline given it is inaccurate in another comment but that was downvoted.
Indeed. I really don't understand the lack of public and political will to end the largest slavery system ever to exist on earth (by which I mean the whole offshore manufacturing sphere, not just Uighurs in China).
The only company I'm aware of that is getting any press on this issue is Apple.
Apple fans would rather jump to whataboutism than tarnish their favorite company. None of this is good, and the wealthiest and stingiest company in the world should do better.
I said my piece.
All you've done is point out your own biases and willingness to dive deep into hypocrisy.
There is a big problem with forced labor. Apple is one of the few companies who is remotely transparent about their supply chain. As much manufacturing as Apple does, they are bound to end up buying from some of these vendors. But unlike most of their competitors, we've seen Apple adjust their buying from suppliers who get caught doing this.
Apple is lobbying to protect their access to slave labor. (Reference in my previous post.) How is that in any way ignorable? Why bring up anything else? Why defend them when they're saying one thing and doing another?
Apple fans never condemn their company. They always hurdle accusations at everyone and anything else they can to protect their fruit god. Just like you're doing now.
Say it: "Apple uses and has benefitted from slave labor. I believe this is wrong and should change."
If you can't say that, I have more than proven my point.
It doesn't matter what other companies are doing. They're all bad. But Apple has the least excuse of them all, because they're the richest and most powerful.
Not that you care, but I cut consumption out of my life. My phone is old and I save and invest most of my income.
If my media company gets off the ground, I'd love to make a movie about Tiananmen.
I love the Chinese people (I studied Mandarin in college), but I refuse to support their regime. Businesses that kowtow should not be supported. Businesses that benefit from slave labor and Chinese market access have a lot to answer for.
I understand if you still want to buy smartphones--I'm typing this one one--but do it with h your eyes open. "Because it's a buzzkill" is not a good reason to ignore it. And if it bothers you, we should do something about it, like lobbying politicians, supporting labor unions, and raising awareness.
Well, I guess that last one will just get you downvotes
https://www.pine64.org/, to my knowledge.
https://www.fairphone.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/016_005...
Still seems to be mostly China (48 out of 65), but the fact they make it public is highly commendable.
https://www.fairphone.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/016_005...
One of which is "O-Film"
Apple dropped them because they used forced labor: https://9to5mac.com/2020/12/03/iphone-camera-supplier-o-film...
So, it's probably reasonable to suspect that FairPhone does (or did) use suppliers that used forced labor. I only checked the one because I had remembered hearing it somewhere.
Yes, the answer is: not one.