France has ordered Apple to stop the sale of its iPhone 12 due to concerns over excessive electromagnetic radiation emissions.
The French authority responsible for regulating radio frequencies, known as ANFR, has also called on the tech giant to address the radioactive issue in existing iPhones.
ANFR has advised Apple that if the problem cannot be resolved through a software update, the company must recall every iPhone 12 ever sold in France.
However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has previously reassured the public regarding radiation emitted by mobile phones, stating on its website that there is no evidence to suggest that exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields poses harm to humans.
The iPhone 12 was first released in September 2020, and it is still sold worldwide.
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In response, Apple told the BBC it was contesting the ANFR’s review, and said it had provided the regulator with lab results from the tech giant itself and third parties which show the device is compliant with all the relevant rules.
It said the iPhone 12 was recognised as being compliant with regulations on radiation levels worldwide.
France’s digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot told French newspaper Le Parisien the decision was due to radiation levels above the acceptable threshold, according to Reuters.
He said the ANFR found the iPhone 12’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) was above what is legally allowed.
“Apple is expected to respond within two weeks,” he said.
“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.”
France will share its findings with other regulators across the trading bloc – which Barrot said could result in “a snowball effect”.
The ANFR requires the SAR of devices to be checked against two different ways a phone is used.
First there is a “membre” – or limb – check, for when a phone is in close contact with a person’s body, such as when it is held or placed in a trouser pocket. The SAR limit for this is four watts per kilogram.
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Next there is a “tronc” – or trunk – check, for when a phone is slightly further away, such as when it is in a bag or jacket pocket. The SAR limit for this is two watts per kilogram.
The ANFR said the device’s “membre” SAR was 5.74 watts per kilogram – higher than the limit. Its “tronc” SAR measure, however, did come under the threshold.
The news first broke on Tuesday in France – the same day that Apple unveiled its new iPhone 15.
The new phone is the first since 2012 to feature an alternative charging port, and Apple says it will sell an adapter so people can use their existing cables.
It comes as the Chinese foreign ministry issued a rebuttal against media reports which claimed government agencies had told staff to stop using iPhones.
It said China has not issued any laws, regulations or policies blocking the use of Apple’s products.