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When Apple stopped including chargers in its iPhones in 2020, it argued that it was doing so for a green purpose: to reduce its carbon footprint by reducing the size of the packaging.
That argument caused doubts in the Brazilian authorities, who at the end of 2021 launched an investigation to determine if the decision of the technological giant affected the interests of consumers.
After conducting the investigation, the Brazilian consumer agency, Senacon, reported that Apple’s decision not to include chargers in the new iPhone “discriminates against consumers” by selling a product that is not complete.
In light of the conclusions, Brazil announced on Tuesday that The sale of the iPhone 12 and all subsequent models is prohibited that do not include chargers, for violating consumer law.
And the Ministry of Justice and Public Security fined the technology giant close to US$2.3 billion.
Apple He announced that he will appeal the measure.
The fine and ban on the sale of iPhones without chargers was announced shortly before Apple unveiled its new iPhone 14, 14 Pro and Apple Watch Ultra models.
“Incomplete product”
The Senacon agency argued that the sale of new iPhones without chargers was an example of how Apple forced consumers to buy a second product after purchasing a new iPhone.
He said that a charger should be part of the product because it is required to operate the phone and is a “Incomplete product” without him.
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The organization added that the move shifted responsibility to third-party providers, as well as consumers, because iPhones without chargers They haven’t dropped in price.
The company told Archyde.com in a statement that it would work with Brazilian authorities to “resolve their concerns”, but added that it had previously won several court rulings in Brazil on the issue.
“We trust our customers are aware of the various options for charging and connecting their devices,” Apple said.
Environmental benefits?
The controversy began when Apple stopped including chargers and headphones in iPhone boxes with the launch of the iPhone 12 in 2020, following a policy that the company said was aimed at green purposes.
“Sometimes it’s not what we do, but what we don’t do that counts,” Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environmental, political and social initiatives, said in a September 2020 speech.
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He added that there were already more than 2 billion official Apple chargers in the world.
However, the Brazilian agency Senacon argued that Apple’s arguments for removing chargers from iPhone boxes for sustainability reasons “were not enough.”
According to the agency, there was no evidence that removing the chargers had environmental benefits.
On the other hand, he added that the company could have considered alternatives to reduce its environmental impact that don’t put a burden on consumers, such as adopting USB-C cables and chargers to reduce e-waste.
The European Union tentatively agreed to plans to enforce the manufacture and sale of a common USB-C charging cable for portable electronic devices earlier this year.
The BBC contacted Apple for comment, but at the time of publication of this note had not received it.
