The iPhone 12 has been banned from sale in France because it emits too much EM radiation.
On Tuesday, the company received a similar directive from the French agency in charge of radio frequency regulation.
Apple has been notified by the ANFR that it must recall every iPhone 12 ever sold in the nation if the problem cannot be fixed with a software update, according to BBC News.
However, the World Health Organization has in the past worked to alleviate concerns about the radiation that mobile phones generate.
It claims on its website that there is insufficient data to draw the conclusion that human exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields is detrimental.
Since its initial introduction in September 2020, the iPhone 12 has continued to be sold all across the world.
Apple Disagrees
Asserting that the iPhone complies with all applicable regulations, Apple said that it was contesting the ANFR's examination and had given the regulator lab data from both the tech giant and outside sources.
It claimed that the iPhone 12 was acknowledged as complying with radiation levels across the globe.
According to Reuters, France's digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot stated to the French newspaper Le Parisien that the decision was made because radiation levels were too high.
He claimed that the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the iPhone 12 was higher than what is permitted by law.
As Barrot predicted, there may be "a snowball effect" as a result of France sharing its findings with regulators around the trading bloc.
Read also: Apple Reveals First Carbon-Neutral Products To Advance Towards Climate Goal
The Rules of AFNR
The ANFR mandates that the SAR of devices be compared to two distinct ways that a phone is used.
When a phone is in close proximity to a person's body, such as when it is handled or put in a pocket of clothing, there is first a "membre" or limb check. For this, the SAR ceiling is four watts per kilogram.
The device's "membre" SAR, according to the regulator, was 5.74 watts per kilogram, which was above the allowed value. The SAR measurement for the iPhone 12 was below the cutoff for when a phone is significantly farther away, such as when it is in a bag or jacket pocket.
The initial report of the story came from France on Tuesday, the day that Apple announced its new iPhone 15.
The new phone is the first to have a second charging connector since 2012, and Apple says it will provide an adaptor so users may continue using their current cords.
The news comes as the Chinese foreign ministry denied media reports that stated government organizations had ordered employees to stop using iPhones.
It claimed that no laws, rules, or policies prohibiting the use of Apple devices have been enacted in China.
