A Brazilian court on Thursday fined Apple $20 million for “abusively” forcing consumers to purchase an extra product by not including chargers with iPhones sold in the country. In a further development, the Sao Paulo civil court has punished Cupertino for the same infraction. According to the case filed by the Brazilian Consumers’ Organisation, Apple should pay BRL 100 million (about $19 million) in damages since the gadget requires a second purchase to function.
Apple Has Multiple Lawsuits Against It
The ruling, which may be challenged, follows a separate punishment of roughly $2.5 million imposed on the company by Brazil’s justice ministry in September over the same problem, at which time the US tech giant was also prohibited from distributing its iPhone 12 and 13 models sans chargers.
A Sao Paulo civil court judge recently issued the increased punishment of 100 million reais as damages in a complaint brought by the Brazilian Consumers Association.
After October 2020, Apple discontinued supplying wall chargers with new iPhones, citing a desire to aid in the reduction of electronic waste as the reason.
But the decision “essentially compels customers to acquire a second product for the first to operate,” Judge Caramuru Afonso Francisco stated in his judgment.
He mandated that beginning with their newest iPhones, the California firm ship chargers to all Brazilians who had purchased an iPhone 12 or 13 during the previous two years.
Across the pond, Apple is also having trouble with its chargers. The European Parliament has enacted a regulation mandating the adoption of USB-C ports as the only charging standard for all mobile devices beginning in late 2024, which will compel Apple to alter the design of its mobile devices. Apple, for its part, said that cutting down on carbon emissions was the driving force for the strategy.