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The Government of Brazil established a period of 72 hours for Apple to offer explanations about the safety of AirPods, the headphones with connection to a device via Bluetooth, after the multinational was
denounced in the
United States
for the damage
that the equipment apparently caused a minor.
The notification was sent to the US company on Monday by the National Secretary for Consumer Defense of the Ministry of Justice, this portfolio reported in a statement.
The body linked to the Ministry of Justice said it had chosen to ask for
explanations after having access to an open process against Apple in a California Court
(United States) after a couple denounced that their
12-year-old son suffered irreversible hearing damage for having used the headphones.
"We are
investigating the possible defect and the consequent risk to the health and safety
of Brazilian consumers. The intention is for the company to act transparently and collaborate with national and international authorities in the immediate clarification of the case," said the Brazilian minister. of Justice, Anderson Torres, quoted in the statement.
The Ministry said that it decided to
send a notification
because
Apple Inc. did not offer explanations in Brazil about what happened
, nor did it alert consumers and the competent authorities about the risks alleged in the process in the United States.
The ministry justified its decision in an article of the Consumer Defense Code that establishes that a company
cannot offer in the Brazilian market a product or service that presents a high degree of harm or danger
to health or safety.
Lawsuit against Apple in the US
According to information that emerged last week, the lawsuit against Apple in the United States started from a Texas couple who alleged that their son, currently 14 years old, suffered a hearing injury while using the devices.
According to the complaint,
the minor was using the AirPods
while playing a
movie
on the Netflix platform when the signal was interrupted by
a strong alert from the headphones,
which caused injuries to his ears, affected his eardrums and caused
hearing loss. permanent.
The loud sound was triggered by an
"AMBER alert ,
"
an early warning system that is activated in the media and on phone calls in a given community when a minor goes missing in the United States, according to the plaintiffs.
Last March, the
consumer protection body in the state of Sao Paulo fined Apple
10.5 million reais (nearly two million dollars) for selling the iPhone without a charger and for misleading advertising in relation to the water resistance of your devices.
The fine was justified by harmful practices for consumers,
such as "the abusive practice" of selling their new smartphones without the charger, an accessory "necessary and essential for its operation," according to Procon, the consumer ombudsman.
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