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Brazil pulls iPhones from stores over demand for free chargers | Jobs Vox

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Brazil’s justice ministry ordered a halt to iPhone sales in the country in September after concluding that Apple was harming consumers by not offering a power adapter bundled with the device. Even after millions of dollars in fines, Apple is still failing to comply – which has now led to the Federal District’s consumer protection regulator seizing iPhones from retail stores.

In Brazil, iPhones were confiscated for not having a charger

As first reported TechnoblogProcon-DF seized hundreds of iPhones at various retail stores in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia. In the action, dubbed “operational relief,” the regulator aims to force Apple to comply with a local law that requires smartphones to come with a charger included in the box.

According to the report, the iPhones were recalled at carrier stores and Apple authorized resellers. The regulator ordered a ban on any iPhone model that lacks a charger in the box. While Apple stopped providing free accessories with the iPhone 12, the company also updated the iPhone 11 with a new, more compact case without a charger.

After seizing the iPhones, Brazil’s Apple asked the government to allow smartphone sales in the country pending a final resolution of the dispute. The company said Technoblog that despite the operation, it continues to sell iPhones in Brazil.

as noted MacMagazineJudge Diego Camara Alves, who allowed the company to continue selling iPhones in Brazil pending a final ruling, believes the company is not violating any consumer rights. The judge also says that Brazil’s regulator is “abusing its authority” with such a decision. Apple says it is confident it will prevail in the legal dispute and that consumers “will be aware of the different options for charging and connecting their devices.”

Apple isn’t so sure

Despite what the company says it is confident it will win the dispute, the company’s latest decision suggests otherwise. With the recently released new generation Apple TV that comes with an updated version of the Siri Remote with USB-C instead of Lightning, the company has stopped shipping the product with a charging cable in the box.

Interestingly, the new Apple TV 4K in Brazil still comes with a USB-C cable included in the box. While the company did not give reasons for its decision, it seems clear that Apple wanted to avoid further fines from the Brazilian regulator in the wake of the iPhone charger controversy.

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