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Conflict Minerals

Conflict Minerals: Sustainability And Human Rights

At Blinkx, we operate across a wide ecosystem—industrial directories, e-commerce, SEO platforms, data engines, and SaaS solutions. Because we work with thousands of suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors, we take our responsibility seriously when it comes to the integrity of the materials behind the products that move through our network.

One area where we cannot compromise is the sourcing of conflict minerals—tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (often referred to as 3TG). These materials, when extracted under abusive or violent conditions, contribute to human-rights violations, unsafe working environments, environmental destruction, and the financing of armed groups.

For us, responsible sourcing is not only an ethical duty. It is also a business imperative: our partners, our users, and our clients expect transparency, accountability, and real action from the platforms they trust.

Why Conflict Minerals Matter to Us

Because Blinkx connects buyers, suppliers, and businesses across multiple verticals, we understand how vulnerable complex supply chains can be. Conflict-affected minerals can appear deep upstream—far beyond the direct control of most downstream companies. Yet the consequences move downstream instantly: reputational damage, regulatory exposure, and ethical risks.

For that reason, we implement strict due-diligence measures to understand, monitor, and improve the sourcing practices of the partners we work with, including European conflict minerals regulation.

How We Manage Conflict Mineral Risk Across the Blinkx Ecosystem

1. We Map Our Supply Chain

We analyse where 3TG minerals may appear in components, assemblies, industrial products, and electronics listed or promoted within our ecosystem. This includes hardware, connectors, fasteners, tooling, electrical parts, and any category that may involve metals or refined materials.

2. We Ask Our Suppliers the Right Questions

We actively request information from suppliers regarding:

  • Whether their products contain tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold

  • The origin of these materials

  • The identification of smelters and refiners involved

  • Their procedures for ensuring that their sources do not support armed conflict

  • The grievance and remediation systems they have in place

We require full transparency as a condition of being featured or listed within our platforms.

3. We Require Standardised Documentation

We ask our suppliers to provide structured reporting on their mineral sourcing, including documentation that identifies:

  • Smelters and refiners

  • Their conformity with recognised responsible-sourcing audits

  • Their risk-management processes

  • How they manage non-conforming supply sources

The goal is to understand the origin of materials and verify the integrity of each transformation point in the upstream chain.

4. We Monitor Supplier Compliance

We regularly evaluate:

  • The completeness of supplier disclosures

  • The conformity of smelters and refiners

  • The presence of high-risk sources

  • Improvements or deviations over time

When we detect non-compliance or insufficient transparency, we initiate improvement steps, and when necessary, we phase out problematic suppliers from our ecosystem.

5. We Encourage Collaboration Over Isolation

Because no single organisation can reshape global supply chains alone, we support multi-stakeholder cooperation. We work with suppliers, manufacturers, auditors, and industry initiatives to strengthen due-diligence processes. Collaboration increases transparency and brings more leverage where it matters most: upstream.

6. We Promote Transparency With Our Users and Partners

We communicate openly about our commitments, processes, and expectations. We provide guidance to suppliers, share best practices, and drive improvements across the industrial and digital ecosystems we touch.

Why This Matters to Blinkx’s Clients and Audience

Our users rely on us not only for scale and data, but for trust. Whether a business interacts with Blinkx through:

  • our industrial directories,

  • our product listings,

  • our lead-generation channels,

  • our marketplace-style content,

  • or our SaaS and analytics platforms,

they expect us to uphold strong ethical sourcing standards.

By enforcing responsible mineral sourcing throughout our network, we help:

  • create safer and more transparent supply chains,

  • support human-rights protections,

  • reduce environmental harm,

  • and ensure that the components and products listed within Blinkx reflect responsible business practices.

Responsible sourcing is part of our identity. It is part of how we build credibility. And it’s part of the long-term future we want to shape.

Our Commitment Going Forward

We will continue strengthening our due-diligence processes, expanding supplier transparency requirements, and improving compliance monitoring. We will keep working with partners who share our values and goals.

At Blinkx, we believe that good business starts with responsible materials. Ethical sourcing isn’t an obligation—it’s a foundation. And we are committed to building that foundation into every corner of our ecosystem.

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