The Chinese mining company Huayou has been reprimanded by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) after it has discovered children as young as four mining for cobalt.
Cobalt is a vital component in the batteries for mobile phones and the main recipient is Apple who have now told Huayou to suspend all mining until they can be checked to be free of child labour.
Apple said some of Huayou's cobalt had entered its supply chain, but that it had now suspended the operation.
An Apple spokesperson added: "Apple is deeply committed to the responsible sourcing of materials for our products'.
Last summer Apple celebrated selling their 1 billionth iphone so there is a very good chance that as they have only just stopped using this supplier, the iphone currently sat on your table was a product of a small child being paid pennies to toil in a cobalt mine.
Worth thinking about next time you moan about your phones short battery life.
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