Brazil forces Apple to comply with the local law and bundle chargers with iPhones

Apple is no stranger to catching flak for the lack of innovations in its iPhones and other steeply-priced products. The American tech giant recently came under fire for not including a charger with its latest iPhones in the box.

In line with this, the Brazilian Ministry of Justice halted iPhone sales in the country a couple of months ago. The Brazilian Ministry of Justice accused the American tech giant of harming consumers by making them shell out extra money to buy a power adapter for their iPhones.

However, it looks like Apple isn't willing to comply with the order despite paying a million-dollar fine. As a result, the regulator for Federal District-based consumer protection has seized hundreds of iPhones from retail stores, as well as retailers.

According to a report by Technology, Procon-DF has taken several Apple iPhones that were up for grabs in retail stores in Brasilia, Brazil.

Aside from this, the report claims the regulator will force the Cupertino-based tech giant to include a charger in the box and comply with the local law. This is part of its plan dubbed "Operation Discharge."

In other words, Apple will no option but to ship iPhones with chargers in the box. In the meantime, the regulator is sparing no effort to seize iPhones from authorized Apple retailers and carrier stores.

However, it is worth mentioning that the regulator is not seizing Apple devices that come with a charger in the box. The Ministry of Justice is bent on stopping the tech giant from selling Apple iPhones without a charger in the country.

To recap, Apple discontinued offering chargers in the box with its iPhone 12 series. In fact, the company eventually stopped offering a charger in the iPhone 11 series retail box.

Meanwhile, Apple Brazil urges the government to allow the sale of iPhones until it passes the final ruling. The company claims it is highly likely to win the legal battle.

Interestingly, the recently-unveiled Apple TV 4K has a USB-C charger in the box. However, Apple did not explain why it decided to provide a charger in the box despite being confident about winning the legal battle.