This is a short analysis of the official Fairphone 2024 impact report.

Fairphone is kinda cagey about how much money they exactly spend on fair/eco initiatives, giving only very little information on what exactly it spends in these departments.

For a good reason, it is not a lot.

Specifically, these numbers are given in the report for 2024:

• The workers assembling the phones get $1.20 of "living wage bonus" for each phone assembled. This bonus is spread over all workers in the factory, no matter if they worked on fairphones or not, coming out to a yearly bonus of $60.67 per worker.
• $3000 was spent on gold fairwashing credits for some artisanal gold mine in Tanzania
• $13000 was spent on fairwashing credits for 2.5 tonnes of cobalt (that's 20% of the raw world market price of cobalt).

That's everything. They do talk about a few other fair/eco initiatives in there, but if you read about what they are doing there, it's usually very little and mostly marketing speech. We can safely assume that if any other initiatives would cost more than the ones mentioned above, they would have put these values into the impact report.

They sold 103 053 phones in 2024, so the credits mentioned above come out to just $0.155 per phone.

So to account for the rest of their initiatives and credits, let's be ultra generous and assume they paid 10x of that for all of these initiatives and credits, bringing this value up to $1.55 per phone plus $1.20 in living wage bonus, which gives us a total of $2.75 per phone.

To double check how realistic these numbers are, lets look at their use of fair materials using the Fairphone 5 as our example.

On page 42 they claim "Fair materials: 76%", but with the disclaimer "Average across 14 focus materials" next to it.

These 76% do not consider materials that are not "focus materials" (and aren't acquired fairly at all) and it also doesn't take into consideration the different distributions of the materials in the phone. Some materials (e.g. iridium) are only found in trace amounts in the phone, while other materials (e.g. aluminium or plastics) make up a large part of the weight of the phone.

On page 67 they go into more detail. Here they claim that only 44% of the materials by weight are "fair". To make this even worse, 37% of these 44% are recycled. Specifically, the materials they use in recycled form are metals, plastics and rare earth elements. These are materials that are cheaper to recycle than to mine, which means these 37% of "fair" materials cost nothing to Fairphone and might even save them money. You will likely find similar shares of recycled materials in any other phone too.

Of the 7% "fair" materials that are left, only 1% is actually mined fairly, the remaining 6% are fairwashed using credits. As we have seen above, these credits are really cheap (adding maybe 20% to the price of the material).

On top of that comes the fact that the raw materials make up only a tiny fraction of the manufacturing cost of a smartphone. The expensive part is turning a pile of minerals, metals and plastic into chips, PCBs, screens, batteries and assembling all of that. So even if they paid fairwashing credits for all materials in the phone it would likely not cost more than a few dollars.

TLDR: Less than $5 per phone are spent on fair/eco.

So where does the money go? In 2024 they had an EBITDA of just €1 745 840, or €16.94 per phone. That's not a lot at all, so it's not like they are pocketing huge sums of money.

Their main problem is that they are a tiny company with low sales figures that has to outsource almost everything they do. On their website they claim to have "70+ employees". That's barely enough for supply chain management, sales and marketing. They don't have an in-house production and likely not even in-house development. They don't have any economies of scale on their side and they certainly don't produce screens, batteries, chips or PCBs in house, like other major manufacturers like e.g. Samsung can do. Their development cost is spread over far fewer sold units.

All of this costs a lot of money.

So when you pay an extra €200-300 to buy a Fairphone instead of a comparable mainstream phone, you are mostly paying for a boutique manufacturing process that can't benefit from economies of scale.

Which is ok, that's nothing bad to do. Just be aware where that extra money is going.

Buying a Fairphone is hardly fairer than buying a regular phone and it is certainly not more eco friendly than buying an used phone.

"The reconciliation bill that Republicans are attempting to ram through the Senate this week would be a death sentence for working-class and low-income Americans," said Sen. Bernie Sanders.

GOP Bill Would Strip Healthcare From 19 People for Every Millionaire Getting a Tax Cut: Sanders Report

^{jake-johnson (Common Dreams)}

Zohran Mamdani's victory over Cuomo in NYC's mayoral primary has sparked a progressive movement demanding change in the Democratic Party. Will this seismic shift lead to more insurgent candidates challenging establishment lawmakers? The time for change is now. #ProgressiveRevolt #Mamdani

After Mamdani Victory, Progressives Call for Primary Challenges to Democratic Establishment

"The establishment has never been more weak than they are now," one advocate told potential progressive candidates. "You need to run."

^{julia-conley (Common Dreams)}

Gaza City’s main high street has been destroyed but Palestinian memories of life before the ongoing Israeli assault survive. As those in Gaza face bombing, starvation and miserable living conditions, here’s how they try to hold both the past and the present in their minds

Archived version: archive.is/20250626125624/theg…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

A street in Gaza, a map of dreams, and the people desperate to live

^{Ana Lucía González Paz (The Guardian)}

The European Union’s top official, Ursula von der Leyen, has declared rearmament the bloc’s emergency priority. While military spending soars to new heights, working people face a fresh era of austerity.

Ursula von der Leyen Is Waging War on Workers

^jacobin.com

"Governments should heed widespread demands to tax the rich—and match it with a vision to build public goods from healthcare to energy," said the executive director of Oxfam International.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/commondreams…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Wealth of Global 1% Has Skyrocketed by Over $33 Trillion Since 2015: Report

^{jake-johnson (Common Dreams)}

A Trump appointee suggests NASA may not have a new administrator until next year.

During a town hall Wednesday, NASA officials on stage looked like hostages

^{Stephen Clark (Ars Technica)}

Billionaire Bill Ackman and his rich friends want someone, anyone, to bring down Zohran Mamdani. Their pitch: take our money, it won’t be much time and energy, and maybe you’ll get famous enough to use the campaign as a stepping stone to higher office.

A Billionaire Trump Backer Is Desperate to Stop Zohran Mamdani

Billionaire Bill Ackman and his rich friends want someone, anyone, to bring down Zohran Mamdani. Their pitch: take our money, it won’t be much time and energy, and maybe you’ll get famous enough to use the campaign as a stepping stone to higher offic…

^jacobin.com

A mix of iron, chlorine, and lithium is conductive, stores lithium, and self-heals.

Researchers develop a battery cathode material that does it all

^{John Timmer (Ars Technica)}

"This is a systematic decimation of access to reproductive healthcare and a signifier of what else is likely to come," warned one critic.

Case file: supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pd…

'People Will Die,' Warn Progressives as Supreme Court Lets States Defund Planned Parenthood

^{brett-wilkins (Common Dreams)}

Federal judge blocks Trump admin from ending wide swatch of federal workers' collective bargaining rights.

Case file: storage.courtlistener.com/reca…

'Victory for Working People': Judge Blocks Trump Attack on Public Employee Unions

"We applaud this ruling as a critical defense of our communities and our rights at work," said the head of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees.

^{eloise-goldsmith (Common Dreams)}

Senate Finance Committee Republicans propose a measly $15 billion "stabilization fund" for rural hospitals to cover up $800 billion in Medicaid cuts. Democrats call it a "slush fund" and warn of devastating consequences. #SaveMedicaid

Dems Decry GOP's $15 Billion Rural Hospital Fund as Sick Joke Compared to $800 Billion in Medicaid Cuts

Instead of offering a "disaster fund" for rural hospitals that would lose crucial funding due to Medicaid cuts, one Democratic senator said Republicans should not "create the problem in the first place."

^{julia-conley (Common Dreams)}

Malaysia emerged as a major destination for U.S. waste after China banned U.S. waste imports in 2018.

Archived version: archive.is/20250626132109/lati…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Malaysia will stop taking U.S. plastic waste. What will California do?

^{Susanne Rust (Los Angeles Times)}

"Senate Republicans apparently saw the House Republican tax plan as a challenge, because their version of this bill is an even bigger rip-off," said Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden.

'Unprecedented Handout': Senate GOP Tax Bill Even More Regressive Than House Version

^{jake-johnson (Common Dreams)}

PlayStation will continue withholding its first-party games from PlayStation Plus on launch day, despite Xbox offering day-one releases through Game Pass. Nick Maguire, PlayStation's vice president of global services, told Game File the company remains committed to its current approach of adding first-party titles to the subscription service 12 to 18 months after release. "We've sort of stayed true to our strategy across the board, where we're not looking to put games in day and date," Maguire said.

Sony Won't Budge on PlayStation Plus Day-One Releases For First-Party Games - Slashdot

^{games.slashdot.org}

iPhone giant will make it easier for developers to promote their offerings

Archived version: archive.is/20250626190617/ft.c…

Apple to open App Store to competitors in EU as it seeks to avoid fines

^{Barbara Moens (Financial Times)}

As the deadline approaches for Tuvaluans to apply for visas to escape their climate-vulnerable home, hope and desperation collide. Will these 280 lucky individuals find safety in Australia, or will rising sea levels swallow their homeland whole? Join the fight for climate justice and human dignity. #SaveTuvalu #ClimateMigration.

Archived version: archive.is/newest/commondreams…

Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.

Nearly a Third of Tuvalu Residents Seek Climate Visas to Australia as Sea Engulfs Their Home

Scientists say the Pacific island nation will likely be uninhabitable by 2100.

^{julia-conley (Common Dreams)}

Zohran Mamdani's opponents "made it a referendum on anti-Zionism being antisemitism," said journalist Spencer Ackerman. "They lost."

Mamdani Shows Pro-Palestine Politics Can Win, Activists and Writers Say

Zohran Mamdani's opponents "made it a referendum on anti-Zionism being antisemitism," said journalist Spencer Ackerman. "They lost."

^{stephen-prager (Common Dreams)}

Democratic lawmakers are demanding an end to the Trump administration's use of "secret police" tactics, with legislation requiring law enforcement officers to clearly display identification. How can we ensure the safety of the public and officers if they continue to operate in secrecy?

'No Secret Police Act': Democratic Bill Would Ban Trump's Masked Federal Agents

"If you uphold the peace of a democratic society, you should not be anonymous," said Rep. Adriano Espaillat.

^{julia-conley (Common Dreams)}

In December 2023, the dating platform Bumble introduced so-called AI Icebreakers to the “Bumble for Friends” section of the app. Powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the feature is designed to help you start a conversation by providing an AI-generated message. In order to do this, your personal profile information is fed into the AI system without Bumble ever obtaining your consent. Although the company repeatedly shows you a banner designed to nudge you into clicking “Okay”, which suggests that it relies on user consent, it actually claims to have a so-called “legitimate interest” to use data. noyb has therefore filed a complaint with the Austrian data protection authority.

Bumble's AI icebreakers are mainly breaking EU law

Bumble sends people's personal profile information to OpenAI to create AI generated messages - without ever asking for consent

^noyb.eu

In December 2023, the dating platform Bumble introduced so-called AI Icebreakers to the “Bumble for Friends” section of the app. Powered by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the feature is designed to help you start a conversation by providing an AI-generated message. In order to do this, your personal profile information is fed into the AI system without Bumble ever obtaining your consent. Although the company repeatedly shows you a banner designed to nudge you into clicking “Okay”, which suggests that it relies on user consent, it actually claims to have a so-called “legitimate interest” to use data. noyb has therefore filed a complaint with the Austrian data protection authority.

Bumble's AI icebreakers are mainly breaking EU law

Bumble sends people's personal profile information to OpenAI to create AI generated messages - without ever asking for consent

^noyb.eu

Sorella di Perfezione - Giuseppe Iannozzi - LFA Publisher. INFORMAZIONI UTILI PER L'ACQUISTO ON LINE.

facebook.com/share/v/1CKXjWGZ3…

Protests against Trump’s immigration policies sprung up in a variety of cities and towns over the weekend.

• Hundreds of anti-ICE protesters marched through downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Friday. “The sound of strumming guitars and chants for change filled the air as downtown Albuquerque was packed with protesters expressing their anger toward the federal government,” reported KRQE TV.
• In Lawrenceville, Georgia, hundreds of people gathered to peacefully protest ICE raids and the arrest of local journalist Mario Guevara, who was taken into ICE custody while covering another Atlanta-area immigration protest a week earlier. Guevara, who is from El Salvador, built a big social media following by documenting immigration raids, and now faces deportation himself. “We see how this is an attempt to stop people from using their First Amendment rights to righteously speak out against these attacks on immigrants,” a protest organizer told WSB TV.
• A spontaneous protest erupted in Pasadena, California, on Saturday, after community members learned that armed officers who drove unmarked vehicles and lacked clear agency identification had detained several people that morning – including four men who were buying tamales from a street cart. Pasadena Now reported that about 200 to 300 people gathered for an evening march and vigil, where Pasadena Mayor Victor M. Gordo and other local officials called for unity and protection of immigrant residents.
• Friends and neighbors of a much-beloved bagel shop manager in Port Washington, Long Island, protested his detention on Saturday. Fernando Mejia, 40, was picked up by ICE agents on June 12, reportedly for overstaying a visa 20 years ago. The protest took place at the Port Washington train station, right across the street from the Schmear Bagel & Cafe where Mejia worked, reported News 12 Long Island.
• Hundreds of angry residents in southeast Los Angeles County faced off against masked men in fatigues Friday evening after federal agents raided a car wash in the city of Bell, the Los Angeles Times reported. “In one video shared with The Times, a protester sprays white paint on a silver SUV and a voice can be heard saying, ‘Get the ... out of here!’ while others jeer. People can be seen hitting the vehicle,” the Times reported. “One woman with a bullhorn hurled obscenities at the agents and President Trump; others waved a Mexican flag and an upside-down U.S. flag, traditionally a symbol of protest or distress.”

Revulsion and resistance to ICE's courthouse arrests grows

Also: Anti-war protests around the nation

^{Dan Froomkin (Heads Up News)}

https://www.newarab.com/news/israeli-forces-kill-child-occupied-west-bank

E.g. piefed.social/post/977961

The post is on !Wikipedia@lemmy.world.

Comments (at time of writing) are divided into sections.

1. One with no heading
2. Heading "Comments in Wikipedia@lemmy.world"

Aren't all the comments on !Wikipedia@lemmy.world? Why two sections?

EDIT

piefed.social/u/insomniac_lemo… explained: the recent post is a repost of a link first posted months ago. So the comment sections are:

1. Comments on latest post
2. Comment from the first time that link was posted

Thanks!

Testing and wondering about spoiler formatting and code formatting in posting and commenting on PieFed.

All of the below was written based on trying things out and seeing what it looks like in the Preview window . But experience has shown me that the Preview window isn't always the same as the final result, e.g. the block quote function does not display in the Preview window but does work in the final result.

So please excuse me if any of points 1-6 do not jibe with the final results shown after I click the "Publish" button.

1. Spoiler 1

Ah, so I can do a spoiler on PieFed. (I've gone back to Lemmy when I wanted to do some posts that needed spoiler protection.) Just not with a GUI button, but by inserting the relevant Markdown codes manually at the start and at the end of what you want to hide.

::: spoiler spoiler
SPOILER 1
:::
Great! It works. 😀

2. Showing code for Spoiler 1: Code Block

::: spoiler spoiler  
SPOILER 1  
:::  

Code Block formatting for the spoiler element code does not show the code, instead it just gives the functional spoiler element in a monospaced font 😁

3. Showing code for Spoiler 1: Single Line Code

Single Line Code, both via the GUI button and manually using the backtick key on the keyboard, turns the entire remainder of my post after the first spoiler into an active spoiler element instead of just showing the three lines as code.

But Single Line Code for those three lines does work if I don't have the word spoiler twice in the first line (like the actual manual code for Spoiler 1 has, where the second spoiler is the text that gets displayed right of the arrow and above the hidden part).

::: spoiler
Attempt 1
:::

Just one spoiler in the first line and it works. Two and the whole rest of the post becomes a hidden spoiler.

4. Code Block & Single Line Code: GUI button vs keyboard key

I see I have to be careful using the "backtick" key, as on my keyboard (Spanish - Latin America) it's normally a "dead key" that usually waits for a subsequent letter to put a grave accent over it, like the è in caffè .

I have to press the Space key after the backtick key so that the backtick doesn't just disappear.

<Alt Gr>+<>, then = ``

+<>, then <Space> =

+, then = backtick

5. Showing a backtick in a PieFed post

As can be seen above, I can't find a way to show the typing sequence to get a backtick (had to resort to a third attempt typing out its name in letters: "backtick").

• With code formatting, it goes wrong: the text before first backtick is displayed as pink monospaced code, but the first backtick is not displayed, the rest is normal body text and there are two backticks at the end instead of just one.
• Without code formatting, it goes wrong in a different way: everything after the first backtick is pink monospaced code, no backticks displayed at all anywhere.

6. Spoiler 2 with image

::: spoiler Spoiler
SPOILER 2 with linked image

:::

OK, so I can include a linked (third-party host) image in a spoiler. 😀

I guess I can't do an upload-right-there-in-PieFed image inside a spoiler, as PieFed doesn't (at least, for now) let you upload any image other than one that's the basis of an image post.

Is there such a thing as too much resolution?

HDMI 2.2 will support 16K video at 60Hz

After announcing it at CES 2025, the HDMI Forum has released the HDMI 2.2 specification to manufacturers.

^{Andrew Liszewski (The Verge)}

Intel’s chips power more than 50 million cars.

Intel is closing its automotive chipmaking business

Intel is closing down and laying off workers at its automotive business as it works to shift focus to its “core client and data center portfolio,” according to a memo seen by The Oregonian.

^{Emma Roth (The Verge)}