Apple Inc has been barred from selling iPhones without a charger in Brazil and fined more than US$2 million over the issue, the Brazilian government said on Tuesday, after accusing the US tech giant of “discriminatory practices.”
In an official notice, Brazilian authorities ordered “the immediate suspension of the distribution of iPhone brand smartphones, regardless of model or generation, that are not accompanied by a battery charger.”
The Brazilian Ministry of Justice and Public Security ordered the California company to pay a fine of 12.28 million reais (nearly US$2.4 million).
Photo: Bloomberg
The measure from the Brazilian Department of Consumer Protection and Defense effectively prohibits the sale of all iPhone 12 and 13 models.
Apple has been under investigation in Brazil since December last year for “the sale of an incomplete product,” “discrimination against the consumer” and “the transfer of responsibility to third parties” by offering iPhone 12s and newer versions without chargers for power outlets, an official statement said.
The company has faced fines from Brazilian state agencies before, but “did not take any measures to minimize the harm and until now continued to sell the cellular devices without chargers,” the statement said.
Brazilian authorities said that Apple alleges that the decision to exclude chargers from iPhone sales comes from an “environmental commitment.”
However, the ministry determined “there is no effective demonstration of environmental protection on Brazilian soil as a consequence” of Apple’s policy, and accused the company of “deliberate discriminatory practices against consumers.”
“There is no justification for an operation which, in aiming to reduce carbon emissions, leads to the introduction into the consumer market of a product whose use depends on the acquisition of another [product] which is also marketed by the company,” the official notice added.
Apple plans to appeal the ban by Brazil, saying the company has helped reduce environmental waste by not including the accessory with new devices.
“At Apple, we consider our impact on people and the planet in everything we do,” the company said in an e-mailed statement. “Power adapters represented our largest use of zinc and plastic and eliminating them from the box helped cut over 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions — equivalent to removing 500,000 cars from the road per year.”
Apple said it would continue working with Brazil’s consumer protection agency to “address their concerns and plan to appeal this decision.”
“We’ve already won a number of court decisions in Brazil on this topic and are confident our customers are aware of the various options to charge and connect their devices,” the company said.
Additional reporting by Bloomberg
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