According to reports, the selling of iPhones without a power adaptor is prohibited in Brazil.
The Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security said on Tuesday that it had fined Apple 12.275 million reals.
According to the Brazilian consumer watchdog Senacon, Apple is discriminating against customers by offering an “incomplete product” by not included power adapters with new iPhones.
Apple will contest the order.
In a statement to Reuters, the business said it would cooperate with Brazilian authorities to “resolve their concerns,” but it also noted that it has previously prevailed in court cases in Brazil regarding the matter.
According to Apple, people are aware of the different alternatives for connecting and charging their devices.
A day before Apple unveiled its new iPhone 14, 14 Pro, and Apple Watch Ultra, the fine and prohibition on sales of iPhones without USB power adapters were announced.
The consumer protection office in So Paulo fined Apple £2 million last year, claiming that the sale of the iPhone 12 and all subsequent models breaches consumer law because they don’t include chargers.
Taking out the plug
With the release of the iPhone 12 in 2020, Apple discontinued including power adapters and headphones in iPhone packaging.
It said that by using less packaging, the change—which occurred after Apple first removed power adapters from the new Apple Watch boxes—would lessen Apple’s carbon footprint.
At Apple’s September 2020 keynote, Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, said, “Sometimes it’s not what we make, but what we don’t make that counts.”
More than two billion genuine Apple power adapters have already been distributed worldwide, she continued.
Senacon, which began arguing against the decision last year, claimed that Apple’s justifications for eliminating USB power adapters from iPhone boxes based on sustainability were “insufficient.”
It claimed that there was no proof that doing rid of chargers was better for the environment.
According to Senacon, the corporation might have thought of solutions to lessen its environmental impact that wouldn’t burden consumers, such as switching to USB-C cables and chargers to cut down on e-waste.
Earlier this year, the European Union reached a tentative agreement on proposals to impose a standard USB-C charging cord for portable electronic gadgets.
“Incomplete product”
Senacon added that Apple forces customers to buy a second product after buying a new iPhone by selling new iPhones without power adapters.
A power adapter should be included with the purchase, according to the statement, as the phone cannot be used without one, making the package “incomplete.”
As a result of the change, the organization noted, consumers and third-party suppliers are now responsible for iPhones without power adapters.
