Apple Inc. was fined $19 million by a Brazilian court on Thursday because the company has opted not to sell chargers with its new iPhones. The court has ruled that the company must now include the chargers in any iPhones sold in the country.
An association of borrowers filed the lawsuit against Apple in Sao Paulo state court, arguing that the company committed abusive practices after opting to stop selling its top product without a charging adapter.
In September, the Bazilian Justice Ministry ordered the tech giant to stop selling the phones without adapters, saying it was giving consumers an incomplete product. That order also included a $2.34 million fine, according to MacRumors.
As for last week’s decision, Apple has said it plans to appeal the decision from the court, Reuters reported.
The company first stopped including its charging blocks with the iPhone 12, citing its efforts to reduce carbon emissions. The phones still include a lighting to USB-C cable, but not the adaptor.
However, the court said in its decision that while Apple's motives may have been to help the environment, it's harmful to consumers.
"It is evident that, under the justification of a 'green initiative,' the defendant imposes on the consumer a required purchase of charger adaptors that were previously supplied along with the product," said the court's decision.
The court's decision also says that Apple is expected to provide chargers to Brazilians who purchased their products after Oct. 13, 2020, according to a Brazilian news site.
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