Brazilian regulator fines Apple for shipping iPhones without chargers
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In October 2020, Apple had announced that no charger or earphones would ship with the iPhone 12 series
Brazil’s consumer watchdog slapped a $2 million fine on Apple for not including chargers in the iPhone 12 series. The watchdog alleges that Apple engaged in misleading advertising and sold a device without a charger on unfair terms.
In October 2020, Apple had announced that no charger or earphones would ship with the iPhone 12 series. The company says this was done to address environmental concerns, implying that the phones only have the device and the wire in the box.
"Apple needs to understand that in Brazil there are solid consumer protection laws and institutions. It needs to respect these laws and these institutions," Procon-SP Executive Director Fernando Capez was quoted as saying by news agency IANS.
In the US, the iPhone 12 Mini costs $729. In Brazil, the same phone is valued at $1,200. The company claims that such measures are a way to limit the company’s carbon footprint. According to Apple, 2 million metric tonnes of carbon will be reduced through this measure, which they claim is the same as removing 450,000 cars in a year.
Many companies are embracing Apple’s move and have now stopped shipping chargers with phones. But critics believe this is another tactic to continue charging customers the same price for lesser services, and is based on the flawed assumption that everyone already owns a device from the same company.
The American giant was fined by Procon-SP, a consumer protection regulator. Apple has not responded to the fine yet.