Apple on September 13 defended the iPhone 12 after a French watchdog ordered a halt to sales of the phone model on the grounds that it violated European Union (EU) radiation exposure limits.
The French National Radio Frequency Management Agency (ANFR) recently tested 141 mobile phones and found that the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the iPhone 12 was 5.74 watts/kg, higher than the EU standard of 4 watts/kg.
ANFR has therefore requested that Apple take all available measures to promptly resolve this issue.
“For phones that have already been sold, Apple must take corrective action as soon as possible. Otherwise, Apple will have to recall them,” the agency said in a statement.
ANFR said it would send agents to Apple stores and other distributors to ensure the model was no longer being sold. If Apple did not take action, it would recall the products the company had already sold to consumers.
The iPhone 12 models were first launched in 2020 and are now discontinued. Photo: Sky News
Jean-Noel Barrot, France's deputy minister for digital affairs, said Apple could fix the radiation problem with a software update.
“Apple will have to respond within two weeks. If they don’t, I’m ready to order a recall of all iPhone 12s in circulation. The rule applies to everyone, including the digital giants,” Barrot said.
Apple has disputed the ANFR's findings, saying the iPhone 12 has been certified by multiple international agencies as compliant with global radiation standards.
The company also provided several Apple and third-party lab results that demonstrate compliance.
Over the past two decades, experts have conducted numerous studies to assess the health risks posed by mobile phones. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), to date no adverse health effects have been identified as a result of using these devices.
Customers leave an Apple store in the Opera district of Paris, France, July 24, 2022. Photo: CNN
The French findings may differ from those recorded by other regulators because the ANFR assesses radiation using a method that assumes direct skin contact, with no textile layer between the device and the user, said Professor Rodney Croft, chairman of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which sets global guidelines for SAR limits.
A French government source also said that the French test is different from the method used by Apple.
ANFR will pass on its findings to regulators in other EU member states.
German network regulator BNetzA said that the French regulations serve as guidelines for the whole of Europe, so Germany will likely introduce similar requirements as France.
Germany's radiation watchdog BfS also said the French decision could have implications for the entire region.
Apple doesn’t break down sales by country or model. The company’s total revenue in Europe is around $95 billion, with more than 50 million iPhones sold in 2022 .
Nguyen Tuyet (According to Reuters, Euronews, Al Jazeera)
Source
Comment (0)