Brazil has, once again, fined Apple for selling iPhones in the country without chargers. The Sao Paulo state court on Thursday levied a $19 million (100 million reais) “social damages” fine against Apple and is again dictating that iPhones sold in the country must include chargers, reports Reuters.

Apple, with the launch of the iPhone 12, stopped including charging adapters in the box. The company said that in order to cut down on carbon emissions, it would not include chargers in the box of any iPhones. It says that many customers already have chargers available, and it continues to sell chargers on a standalone basis.

However, Brazil has been against this decision ever since Apple’s announcement. Last year, it levied a similar fine of $1.9 million against Apple along with accusations of false advertising. The regulator didn’t buy Apple’s argument, and the company was forced to include chargers with iPhone 12 packages sold in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo.

In the latest effort to force the Cupertino-giant to include the charger in the box, the Brazilian court fined Apple $19 million. In addition to the fine, the court has also asked Apple to provide power adapters to all Brazilians who purchased their products after October 13, 2020. 

“It is evident that, under the justification of a ‘green initiative,’ the defendant imposes on the consumer a required purchase of charger adapters that were previously supplied along with the product,” read the ruling.

Apple, on its Brazil store website, does state that there is no charger in the box of the iPhone. Brazilian authorities maintain that such information must be “ostentatious” and not “camouflaged,” as required by local consumer law. Reuters says that Apple will appeal against the judgment.

Source: Reuters