A Brazilian court on Thursday fined Apple $19 million (100 million reais) for continuing to sell iPhones without a charger in the box. Reuters reports the “social damages” fine was levied after a Sao Paulo state court said that Apple must offer battery chargers with iPhones that are sold in the country, leading to a lawsuit brought about by the Brazilian association of borrowers, consumers, and taxpayers (AMBCC).
Apple has claimed that it stopped offering a charger with an iPhone purchase for environmental reasons, saying it cuts down on carbon emissions. (To be fair, it also improves Apple’s profit margins.) The company said many customers already have chargers available, and the company sells chargers on a standalone basis.
The court presiding over the case did not agree with Apple’s environmental explanation. “It is evident that, under the justification of a ‘green initiative,’ the defendant imposes on the consumer a required purchase of charger adapters that were previously supplied along with the product,” read the ruling.
Alongside the fine, Apple will be required to sell iPhones with chargers and also provide chargers to Brazilians who purchased their products after October 13, 2020, reports Brazilian news site Estadão.
Apple stopped including chargers with iPhones as of the launch of the iPhone 12 models in 2020. In most countries, Apple no longer ships iPhones with a power adapter or EarPods earbuds, including only a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box.
Back in September, the Justice Ministry in Brazil ordered Apple to stop selling iPhones without a charger in the box. Brazilian officials said Apple was delivering an incomplete product by not including a power adapter in the iPhone box.
Apple has not complied with that order as it is appealing the ruling. The company is also planning to appeal today’s Sao Paulo decision.
