The Justice Ministry in Brazil today ordered Apple to stop selling iPhones without a charger in the box, reports
Reuters. Brazilian officials say that Apple is giving customers an incomplete product when the power adapter is not included with the purchase, a move the government claims is a "deliberate discriminatory practice against consumers."
Apple has been fined 12.275 million reais (~$2.34 million) for selling iPhones without chargers, and Brazilian officials are forcing the company to cease offering any iPhone that does not come with a power adapter, including the iPhone 12 and newer.
The Brazilian state of São Paulo
previously fined Apple close to $2 million for not providing a charger with modern iPhones, which the São Paulo consumer protection agency said was a violation of Consumer Law Code. Apple also
lost a 2022 lawsuit in the country after a customer who did not receive a charger sued.
Apple has told Brazilian officials that not including a power adapter with the iPhone offers environmental benefits and cuts down on waste, but Brazil has thus far rejected this argument.
Apple stopped providing chargers with iPhones starting with the 2020
launch of the iPhone 12 lineup. In most countries, Apple no longer ships iPhones with EarPods or a power adapter, including just a USB-C to Lightning charging cable. Apple says that most customers already have power adapters on hand to charge with, and has told customers that removing these accessories is part of its effort to "reach [its] environmental goals."
The Justice Ministry's order comes one day ahead of Apple's iPhone 14 announcement, which will see the debut of updated iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models.
Update 1:40 p.m.: In a statement to
Bloomberg,
Apple says it will appeal the ruling:
Article Link:
Apple Ordered to Stop Selling iPhones Without Charger in Brazil [Updated]