In France, local authorities have ordered Apple to stop the process of selling smartphones of the iPhone 12 model.

The reason for this decision was too strong electromagnetic radiation coming from mobile phones. Last Tuesday, September 12, the French watchdog, which controls radio frequencies, ordered the American tech giant to fix mobile phones.

The National Agency for Frequencies (Agence Nationale des fréquences (ANFR) has notified the company that if the problem is not fixed with an update, a decision will be made to recall all iPhone 12 that have ever been sold in France.

These statements by official structures were made after attempts by the World Health Organization to dispel concerns about radiation emitted by mobile phones. The official WHO website contains information according to which there is currently no evidence that low-level electromagnetic fields have a negative impact on the human body.

The presentation of the iPhone 12 took place in September 2020. This smartphone model of the tech giant is still sold worldwide. The company informed the media that it intends to challenge the ANFR ruling. Apple also provided the regulator with the results of laboratory tests conducted by the company and third parties, according to which the smartphone complies with all the rules. The tech giant claims that the iPhone 12 has been found to comply with radiation standards worldwide.

French Minister of Digital Technologies Jean-Noel Barrot told reporters that the decision to stop smartphone sales was made due to the fact that mobile phones of the mentioned model emit radiation, the level of which exceeds the permissible threshold. According to him, ANFR specialists found that the specific absorption coefficient (SAR) of the iPhone 12 is higher than the norm stipulated by law. He also said that Apple’s response is expected within two weeks. The minister noted his readiness to order the recall of all iPhone 12s in circulation in the event that the technology giant does not meet the requirements of the regulator.

ANFR reported that the SAR of the smartphone was 5.74 watts per kilogram, which exceeds the limit set by the European Union for a mobile phone that is held in the hands or stored in a pocket. The watchdog also announced intention to share its findings with other regulators throughout the trading block.

In 2020, the French authorities expanded the rules according to which retailers must indicate the radiation of products on the packaging of not only mobile phones but also tablets and other electronic devices.

The news about the suspension of sales of smartphones by the tech giant appeared on the day of the presentation of the iPhone 15. The media report that the decision of the French regulator reflects the influence of EU legislation, which requires Apple to stop using its proprietary lightning charging port and replace it with a USB-C cable. In response to this requirement, the tech giant announced its intention to sell an adapter so that people could use the cables they have.

As we have reported earlier, China Flags Security Problems With iPhones.