WTF?! With yesterday’s unveiling of the iPhone 15 series, many of Apple’s headlines are related to its latest handsets. But an older device, the iPhone 12, is suddenly getting a lot of attention, and for an unusual reason: France has ordered Apple to stop selling the phone because its radiation levels are above the permissible limit.
The French agency ANFR, which regulates radio frequencies, has informed Apple of its decision to ban sales of the iPhone 12 after tests showed that the specific absorption rate (SAR) was above the permissible limit.
The ANFR said accredited laboratories measured the body’s absorption of electromagnetic energy at 5.74 watts per kilogram in tests that simulated holding the phone in the hand or pocket, the company writes France 24. This is higher than the European standard absorption rate of 4.0 watts per kilogram.
The agency noted that tests measuring radiation absorption rates at a distance of 5 cm (1.98 inches) showed that the iPhone 12 met the limit of 2.0 watts per kilogram.
France’s junior minister for digital economy, Jean-Noël Barrot, told Le Parisien newspaper that a software update could fix the radiation problems associated with the iPhone 12. Apple has two weeks to respond to France’s request if it does not. Therefore, Barrot stated that he is ready to recall the device, which went on sale in 2020.
Barrot said: “In practice, this decision could have a snowball effect.”
The ANFR said it would check whether the iPhone 12 models would no longer be available for sale in France from today.
Apple said it has provided ANFR with multiple laboratory results from Apple and independent third parties demonstrating compliance with all applicable global SAR regulations and standards. The company added that it is contesting the findings of the AFNR review and will continue to work with the agency to demonstrate its compliance.
The World Health Organization website states that numerous studies have shown that “no adverse health effects have been identified from the use of cell phones.”
In 2020, France expanded its rules requiring retailers to declare the radiation levels of products on packaging beyond cell phones to include other electronic devices such as tablets.