How many people are in modern slavery in the technology supply chain?

According to the International Labour Organization, nearly 50 million people worldwide were trapped in modern slavery as of the most recent estimates, with 27.6 million in forced labor. Of those, 17.3 million are in forced labor within the private economy, embedded in industries like mining, manufacturing, and agriculture that directly supply the technology sector. This figure has risen by 25 percent over the past decade due to increasingly complex global supply chains.

How is cobalt mining in the DRC linked to forced labor?

The DRC supplies about 70 percent of the world's cobalt, with artisanal and small-scale mining accounting for 15 to 30 percent of production. A 2025 University of Nottingham report estimates that 78 percent of employed cobalt workers experience forced labor, affecting between 67,000 and 80,000 workers. Up to 40,000 children work in DRC mines, earning less than two dollars a day in perilous conditions. Chinese firms dominate 15 of the 19 major cobalt mines, often linked to exploitation.

What is the link between Uyghur forced labor and solar panels?

Xinjiang in China produces 35 percent of the world's solar-grade polysilicon, a key ingredient in solar panels. Since 2017, Uyghur Muslims and other minorities have faced mass detention and forced labor in re-education camps, with state-mandated transfers to factories. All four leading polysilicon manufacturers in Xinjiang are implicated in forced labor schemes. The US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, enforced since 2022, has detained over three gigawatts of solar modules, but circumvention persists.

How much profit does modern slavery generate annually?

According to ILO estimates, modern slavery generates approximately $236 billion in illegal profits annually. This figure is likely an undercount, as it only captures documented forced labor cases. The profits flow through global supply chains that supply consumer electronics, electric vehicles, solar panels, and other technology products sold primarily in Western markets.

What laws exist to combat forced labor in technology supply chains?

The US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, enforced since 2022, presumes all goods from Xinjiang are made with forced labor unless proven otherwise and has blocked over three gigawatts of solar module imports. The US Department of Labor's GALAB project aims to combat cobalt forced labor in the DRC. The UK Modern Slavery Act requires companies to report on supply chain risks, though enforcement has been criticized as weak. Canada has also updated modern slavery legislation, but enforcement remains inconsistent across jurisdictions.

Analysis 09 MAR 2026

How Slavery Fuels Technology and the Modern World

Chart showing modern slavery statistics across technology supply chains in 2026

The Scale of the Problem: 50 Million People, $236 Billion in Illegal Profits

In an era defined by rapid technological advancement, the technology we rely on, smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, and renewable energy systems, promises a brighter, more sustainable future. Yet beneath the surface of progress lies a dark reality: modern slavery permeates the supply chains that power these innovations.

According to the latest estimates from the International Labour Organization, nearly 50 million people worldwide were trapped in modern slavery as of 2021, with 28 million in forced labor, a figure that has risen by 25 percent over the past decade due to increasingly complex global supply chains. Modern slavery encompasses forced labor, debt bondage, human trafficking, and other forms of exploitation where individuals are coerced into work without consent or fair compensation.

Key forced labor figures Total modern slavery stands at 50 million, up 10 million since 2016. Forced labor affects 27.6 million, with 63 percent in the private economy. 12 million children are impacted, over half in commercial sexual exploitation. Annual illegal profits reach $236 billion. There has been a 25 percent rise since 2016, driven by complex supply chains spanning multiple countries and sectors.

Workers in conditions linked to modern slavery in global manufacturing supply chains

A critical analysis of the data shows that slavery thrives where oversight is weak and profits are high. The World Economic Forum's 2026 report on ending forced labor emphasizes that systemic incentives, like low labor costs and lax regulations, perpetuate the issue across borders. Vulnerable groups including migrants, women, and children bear the brunt, with over 12 million children in modern slavery and migrants three times more likely to be exploited.

Cobalt Mining in the DRC: The Human Cost of Electric Vehicles

Cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo exemplifies how slavery underpins tech. The DRC supplies about 70 percent of the world's cobalt, with artisanal and small-scale mining accounting for 15 to 30 percent of production.

DRC cobalt forced labor findings: 2025 A 2025 University of Nottingham report estimates that 78 percent of employed cobalt workers experience forced labor, characterized by involuntariness such as inability to refuse hazardous work and coercion such as wage withholding. This affects between 67,000 and 80,000 workers, many in debt bondage or under abusive overtime. Up to 40,000 children work in DRC mines, earning less than two dollars a day in perilous conditions. Chinese firms dominate 15 of the 19 major cobalt mines, often linked to exploitation.

While demand for electric vehicles surges, projected to require 30 times more cobalt by 2030, the human cost is externalized. Reports from 2026, like the US Department of Labor's GALAB project, aim to combat this, but enforcement lags, allowing tainted cobalt to enter global markets. This is not mere oversight: it is a profit-driven choice where cheap minerals enable affordable tech but perpetuate poverty and environmental degradation in the DRC.

Uyghur Forced Labor and the Solar Panel Paradox

Renewable energy, claimed to be a climate solution, is equally tainted. Xinjiang in China produces 35 percent of the world's solar-grade polysilicon, a key solar panel ingredient. Since 2017, Uyghur Muslims and other minorities have faced mass detention and forced labor in re-education camps, with state-mandated transfers to factories.

Xinjiang polysilicon and the green energy supply chain A 2025 Global Rights Compliance investigation links Western companies to forced labor in titanium, lithium, and polysilicon production involving coercion, harassment, and loss of income. All four leading polysilicon manufacturers in Xinjiang are implicated in forced labor schemes. The US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, enforced since 2022, has detained over three gigawatts of solar modules, but circumvention persists. China controls 80 percent of global solar manufacturing, making ethical sourcing particularly challenging.

This reveals a paradox: green tech accelerates climate goals but at the expense of human rights. Corporate lobbying against the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and weak EU regulations highlight how economic ties to China prioritize profits over ethics.

How Slavery Runs Technology: The Wider Pattern

These cases illustrate how slavery runs technology: cobalt powers consumer electronics and electric vehicles, while polysilicon enables solar grids. The modern world, reliant on interconnected devices and clean energy, indirectly sustains exploitation. A 2026 Reuters report notes slavery's 25 percent rise, linked to tech-driven supply chains.

Western firms often deny involvement, citing audits, but opacity in multi-tier chains allows plausible deniability. Governments like the US and Canada have updated modern slavery laws, but enforcement is inconsistent. Economically, slavery undercuts fair labor markets while generating $236 billion in illegal profits annually. The politically uncomfortable truth is that consumer demand for cheap tech incentivizes exploitation, and green transitions risk entrenching it further without rigorous due diligence.

What Genuine Change Requires

Ending this requires multifaceted action: blockchain for traceable supply chains, AI for risk detection, and stricter laws like an expanded Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Companies like Accenture and Cisco have committed to ethical sourcing in 2026 statements, but progress is slow. Ultimately, consumers and policymakers must demand transparency. Without it, technology's promise remains shadowed by human suffering.

Kai Tutor | The Societal News Team

Follow Us!
It helps decentralize our presence across the web and it's completely free!
Instagram ➤
Youtube ➤
Substack ➤
X.com ➤
Telegram ➤
TikTok ➤

How Slavery Fuels Technology and the Modern World

The Scale of the Problem: 50 Million People, $236 Billion in Illegal Profits

Cobalt Mining in the DRC: The Human Cost of Electric Vehicles

Uyghur Forced Labor and the Solar Panel Paradox

How Slavery Runs Technology: The Wider Pattern

What Genuine Change Requires

The 2026 US-Israeli Strikes on Iran and Iranian Counterattacks

Russia's Proposed Deal with the US to End the War in Ukraine

The Hidden Funding Behind America's Major Protests