Tuesday, French regulators ordered Apple to suspend sales of the iPhone 12 due to excessive electromagnetic radiation emissions and to fix existing devices.
The French agency that regulates radio frequencies, the ANFR, stated that after conducting tests, it ordered Apple to remove the iPhone 12 from the French market as of September 12 because the model exceeded the limit for electromagnetic absorption by the body, as per CNET.
France Suspends iPhone 12 Sales Due to Radiation Concerns
The ANFR stated on its website, "Apple must take immediate corrective action to bring the affected phones into compliance in regards to phones that have already been sold." Apple will have to recall them otherwise.
In an interview with Le Parisien published on Tuesday, France's deputy minister for the digital economy, Jean-Noel Barrot, stated that a software update would be sufficient to fix the radiation issues associated with the phone that the US company has been selling since 2020.
'Apple is anticipated to respond within two weeks', he said, adding: "if they fail to do so, I am prepared to order a recall of all iPhones 12 in circulation. The rule applies to all parties, including the digital titans."
ANFR reported that accredited laboratories found the body absorbs electromagnetic energy at a rate of 5.74 watts per kilogram when the phone is held in the hand or placed in a pocket.
In such experiments, the European standard is a specific absorption rate of 4.0 watts per kilogram. Beginning Wednesday, ANFR agents will confirm that iPhone 12 models are no longer available for sale in France.
Apple insisted in a statement to AFP that it complies with exposure limits and will continue to work with the French regulator to demonstrate compliance. According to scientific studies, the European Union has established safety limits for SAR values associated with mobile phone exposure, which could increase the risk of certain types of cancer.
The French watchdog will now relay its findings to other EU member states' regulatory bodies. To prevent adverse health effects, regulators in a number of nations have set limits on the quantity of electromagnetic radiation mobile phones may emit.
Following a significant number of studies, the World Health Organization states on its website that no adverse health effects have been established as a result of mobile phone use, according to Reuters via MSN.
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France Extends Radiation Labeling Rules to Include Tablets and Electronics
In 2020, France expanded regulations requiring retailers to display the radiation value of products on packaging to encompass tablets and other electronic devices in addition to mobile phones.
The news from France was announced on the same day Apple unveiled its new iPhone 15 lineup, which will feature improved cameras, quicker processors, a new charging system, and a price increase for the most expensive model.
The showcase at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California, comes as the company attempts to reverse a moderate slump that has resulted in three consecutive quarters of declining sales compared to the previous year.
Since mid-July, Apple's stock price has declined by approximately 10 percent, bringing the company's market value below the $3 trillion threshold for the first time since earlier this summer. Tuesday's decline in the company's stock price was greater than that of the main market indexes, Daily Mail reported.
