RIO DE JANEIRO (AFP) — A Brazilian judge fined Apple $20 million Thursday for selling iPhones without chargers, calling it an "abusive practice" that forces customers to buy an additional product.

The decision, which can be appealed, came after Brazil's justice ministry slapped a separate fine of nearly $2.5 million on Apple in September over the same issue and barred the US tech giant from selling its iPhone 12 and 13 models without chargers.

The new fine — 100 million reais — was awarded by a Sao Paulo civil court judge as damages in a lawsuit filed by the Brazilian Consumers' Association.

Apple stopped including outlet chargers with new iPhones in October 2020, saying it wanted to help reduce electronic waste.

But the move effectively "requires consumers to purchase a second product in order for the first to work," Judge Caramuru Afonso Francisco wrote in his ruling.

He ordered the California company to supply chargers to all consumers in Brazil who bought iPhone models 12 or 13 in the past two years and begin including them with all new purchases.

Apple is also facing charger-related headaches across the pond.

Last week, the European Parliament passed a law requiring all smartphones, tablets and cameras to use USB-C ports as the single charger standard from late 2024, which will force Apple to change its phone designs.