By every subjective measure, Apple is one of the most successful public companies in history. Its brand perception is synonymous with innovation and its corporate ethos is to make the world a safer, more equitable place. But lofty credos can often be misleading. In the Great Lakes region of Africa, which is ground zero in the global supply chain for Big Tech, Apple appears to have betrayed its vision. The company stands accused of deceiving consumers, laundering Congolese minerals and profiting from war crimes, according to criminal complaints filed against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium.