France’s radiation watchdog has ordered American tech giant Apple to immediately withdraw all iPhone 12 models from the country’s market due to their lack of compliance with European regulations on electromagnetic wave exposure to humans.
In a press release on Tuesday, the National Frequency Agency (ANFR) said testing found that the popular smartphone emitted far more electromagnetic radiation than the amount the European Union regulations allow to be absorbed by the body.
ANFR notified Apple of its decision to ban iPhone 12 sales after the tests showed the smartphone’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) was above threshold radiation levels and said they had to be removed from the French market as of September 12.
“Apple must immediately take all measures to prevent the affected phones present in the supply chain from being made available,” the agency said.
“For phones already sold, Apple must take corrective action as soon as possible to bring the affected phones into compliance. Otherwise, it will be up to Apple to recall them.”
The regulator said accredited labs had found that iPhone 12 devices exceeded the SAR value mandated by the EU, which is four watts-per-kilogram (W/kg) when held in hand or in a trouser pocket.
Jean-Noel Barrot, the French minister of digital affairs, said in an interview with the newspaper Le Parisien that a software update would be sufficient to fix the radiation issues linked to the iPhone model, which the California-based company has been selling since 2020.
“Apple is expected to respond within two weeks,” he added. “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.”
Barrot also stressed that the French watchdog would pass on its findings to regulators in other EU member states, saying, “In practical terms, this decision could have a snowball effect.”
The French government has over the past years obliged digital retailers to display the radiation value of products on the packaging of cell phones, tablets, and other electronic devices.
Introduced in October 2020, the iPhone 12 has been a popular model due to a lower price point than the subsequent models.
Earlier on Tuesday, Apple announced the iPhone 15 line of devices, featuring the USB-C connector in order to comply with an EU mandate adopted in 2022.
