The hidden cost of digital: what lies beneath our devices

David Maenda Kithoko is the founder of Association Génération Lumière and site manager at ENVOI Grigny. This article reflects his powerful intervention at Sopht Connect, where he shed light on the human and social consequences of our digital world.

When we scroll through our phones or open our laptops, we rarely think about the blood and soil hidden behind the components. As a Congolese refugee living in France and a passionate advocate for justice, David carries the weight of knowing where our digital world truly begins: not in the sleek factories of Silicon Valley, but in the conflict-ridden mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In his striking presentation, he dismantled one of the most persistent myths in technology: the idea that digital technology is immaterial. The truth he reveals is far more complex—and unsettling. Our digital lives are profoundly material: extracted from the earth, transported across continents through networks of exploitation, and built on the backs of those whose stories rarely reach our screens.

Behind every device in our pockets lies a hidden story—one rooted in displaced communities, resource extraction, forced labor, and often unimaginable violence.

A buried legacy

David’s homeland, the DRC, stands at the very heart of this shadow supply chain. It has become one of the most tragic epicenters of global tech production—where the pursuit of rare earth minerals has fueled decades of conflict and suffering.

The DRC has long been referred to as a “geological scandal,” not because it lacks minerals, but because it holds too many. This term, coined by Belgian geologist Jules Cornet in 1892, reduced the land to its underground riches—ignoring its people, culture, and sovereignty.

That vision still endures. The 1884–85 Berlin Conference divided Africa among European powers, handing the Congo to King Leopold II of Belgium. What followed was a regime of brutal exploitation—especially for rubber—with atrocities committed to satisfy Europe’s growing demand for tires. It’s estimated that 50% of the population perished during this time.

Later came new discoveries: copper and uranium would place the DRC at the heart of 20th-century geopolitics. The uranium used in the Hiroshima atomic bomb came from Congolese soil.

Crushed independence, fueled conflicts

Patrice Lumumba, the first leader of post-independence Congo in 1960, was assassinated less than a year into his mandate. His pan-African, non-aligned stance was deemed threatening. His body was dismembered. Only a tooth remained, returned to his family in 2022.

What followed were decades of authoritarian rule under Mobutu. Then in the 1990s, the ripple effects of the Rwandan genocide destabilized the region. Rebel groups—often backed by foreign powers—began fighting for territorial and mining control.

What emerged went beyond war: it became an economic system, powered by resources and sustained by global demand for electronics.

Coltan, cobalt, and the true cost of connectivity

Armed groups today strategically control or tax many of the DRC’s mining sites—sites that produce the minerals essential to the devices in our pockets and on our desks:

• Coltan (used in capacitors and connectivity components): The DRC holds 60–80% of global reserves, yet Rwanda—a far smaller producer—is the top exporter. This points to systematic smuggling and foreign financing of armed groups.

• Cobalt (used in batteries, especially for electric vehicles): The DRC provides over 70% of global supply. Yet chronic instability prevents the enforcement of ethical mining practices.

Mining Realities:

• Artisanal mining (20%): A euphemism—this often means child labor, mine collapses, and armed control. Roughly 40,000 children work in these deadly conditions.

• Industrial mining (80%): Ostensibly more organized, but plagued by corruption, opacity, and violence.

To extract a single ton of copper, miners dig pits the height of three Eiffel Towers, spanning the size of three football fields. This scale mirrors the scope of destruction—social, human, and ecological.

A never-ending war

The statistics are staggering:

• Over 6 million deaths (a conservative UN estimate)—the deadliest conflict since World War II.

• 7 million internally displaced, with millions more in exile—including David himself.

• Over 1,000 women raped each day—a weapon of war deliberately used to terrorize and drive communities from resource-rich lands.

Meanwhile, 500,000 hectares of forest are destroyed each year, accelerating climate collapse. The Congo Basin is a critical carbon sink—its loss endangers the entire planet.

“This is not an ethnic war,” David insists. “It’s an economic war—for minerals.”

And now? The power of de-fatalization

David calls for a radical reframing: “This is not fate. It’s a system—and systems can be dismantled.”

His organization, Génération Lumière, promotes systemic responses rooted in justice and action.

Traceability

Most “ethical sourcing” frameworks fail. Minerals are rerouted through neighboring countries and become untraceable. But, as David points out: “If we can manufacture chips with 16,000 subcontractors (as Intel does), we can trace supply chains.”

Fairphone, for instance, works with about 1,000—showing a different path is possible.

Repair and the right to repair

Repair is not just technical—it’s a moral act. It slows extraction, reduces e-waste, creates inclusive jobs, and reconnects us with the true value of our devices.

At ENVOI Grigny, David now leads a repair center focused on reuse and employment—proof that repair can be resistance.

Better waste management

Less than 25% of e-waste is recycled. Much still ends up in landfills or is illegally exported. A circular digital economy—one that values recovery over disposal—is not just a dream. It’s a necessity.

Cultural change

Why do we each own five devices? Why are we sold smart fridges, connected toothbrushes—even connected underwear?

David challenges our collective consumption: Is all this truly necessary—when the cost is counted in lives and planetary collapse?

Political courage

In February 2024, thanks to lobbying by Génération Lumière, the European Parliament adopted a resolution urging the Commission to re-evaluate mining agreements with Rwanda—a rare moment of political accountability.

A call to “inhabit the earth differently”

David closes with a plea that resonates deeply with Sopht’s mission: The true materiality of digital technology is human. It’s not just about carbon footprints. It’s about lives, dignity, forests, futures.”

At Sopht, we believe sustainable IT isn’t just about optimization. It’s about reconnection—with the planet, with people, with purpose.

Choosing to repair, to extend the life of our devices, to challenge overconsumption—these aren’t small acts. They are systemic levers.

And perhaps the first step is to stop calling digital technology “immaterial.”

Because there is nothing immaterial about it.