Judge Caramuru Afonso Francisco, of the 18th Civil Court of Sao Paulo, condemned Apple for an “abusive practice” for considering that selling models 12 and 13 without a charger “conditions the acquisition of a product so that another can work”.
The decision, which Apple will be able to appeal, follows a $2.5 million fine ordered in September by the Justice Ministry’s consumer protection service, which banned the US company from selling those models without chargers.
Apple stopped including the wall outlet charger in October 2020, when it launched the iPhone 12, citing a “commitment to the environment.”
The court ordered the Californian company to provide chargers to consumers who bought iPhones 12 and 13 in the last two years and, from now on, include chargers in the sale of all its models.
In addition, it determined that the company pay 100 million reais (about 20 million dollars) for “social damages”, the amount requested by the plaintiff in the case, the Brazilian Consumer Association (ABMCC).
Brazil isn’t the only place giving Apple headaches over its chargers.
The European Parliament last week approved a law that imposes a single charger, with a USB-C port, for smartphones, tablets and portable devices from the end of 2024, a measure that will force Apple to modify its models.
The entrance Brazilian judge sentences Apple to pay USD 20 million for selling iPhones without a charger was first published in diary TODAY.
