A directive was issued by France’s radiation watchdog National Frequency Agency or ANFR to stop the sales of the Apple iPhone 12 in the country effective immediately. Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s junior minister for the digital sector was the minister in charge told newspaper Le Parisien in an interview published recently.
ANFR states that the Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of the iPhone 12 was slightly higher than legally allowed, hence the sales ban.
Barrot later states that a software update would be sufficient to fix the radiation issues linked to the phone. The French government is giving Apple two weeks to respond.
“If they fail to do so, I am prepared to order a recall of all iPhones 12 in circulation. The rule is the same for everyone, including the digital giants,” said Barrot later on.
In a later report, Apple denied the findings, saying that the iPhone 12 meets all radiation rules set by the EU.
Apple said in a statement the iPhone 12, launched in 2020, was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global radiation standards, that it had provided several Apple and third-party lab results proving the phone’s compliance with the French agency, and that it was contesting its findings.
The directive is making waves in the EU as Germany’s network regulator BNetzA said it might launch similar proceedings and was in close contact with French authorities, while Spain’s OCU consumers’ group urged authorities there to halt the sales of the iPhone 12.
Steps taken by France may include sending agents on the ground to Apple stores and other locations that sell Apple products to ensure that the iPhone 12 is not being sold – the failure to do so may result in a total recall of the model already sold to consumers by the French government.
While the model is no longer being sold by Apple officially after the launch of the new iPhone 15, many third parties and shops are still selling the older model in the open market. Repercussions of the outcome of this may impact globally, as many countries look up to the EU for recommendations on safety of products and items sold to the consumers.
