Warning for French iPhone 12: European authorities investigate radiation alert

Some European countries are looking into worries that the iPhone 12 is giving off too much electromagnetic radiation. France has told Apple to stop selling the phone.

Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany are now investigating the problem as well.

France’s regulator has told the tech giant it has two weeks to reply to an investigation. If the investigation finds wrongdoing, other countries in Europe may take similar actions.

Apple said that it had shown evidence that it was following the rules on radiation.

France’s National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) reported that radiation levels detected in the iPhone 12 exceeded the permissible limits.

The French sales stoppage could have a big effect, says French digital economy minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Le Parisien newspaper. The ANFR will now give its results to regulators in other countries in the EU.

The government of Belgium has told its regulator to check whether the iPhone 12, which came out in 2020, can be dangerous for our health.

It is my job to respond and make sure that everyone in the kingdom is kept safe and protected from any possible harm. Belgian state secretary for digitalisation, Mathieu Michel, said that health is a very important matter and should never be ignored.

He told Le Soir that he requested the regulator to check all Apple models and then other brands as well.

The RDI, which is responsible for digital infrastructure in the Netherlands, stated that the French tests proved that radiation levels were definitely too high. The RDI said they would talk to Apple, but they said there is no urgent danger to safety.

In simpler words, the German network agency called BNetzA told the BBC that the French investigation could result in actions that would affect all countries in the European Union.

The UK hasn’t said what they will do after France banned something.

Apple disagreed with the findings from France and said they were contesting them. They also mentioned that they had given the French agency lab results from Apple and other companies, which proved that the device met the regulations.

The Minister in charge of France’s digital economy said that he believes Apple will be able to solve the problem by releasing an update for their software.

If that method didn’t work, Apple would need to take back all the iPhone 12 devices they sold in France, as stated by the ANFR.

The regulator checks two radiation tests: one measures a phone when it touches a person’s body, like when it is held or placed in a pocket; the other test is done when the phone is in a pocket or bag but a bit further away.

The iPhone 12 did well in the second test, but it went beyond the limits set by EU rules in the first test, according to the ANFR.

The watchdog organization said it will inspect Apple stores and other sellers to ensure they have stopped selling the specific model.

Smartphones were removed from stores in France before due to radiation tests, but this is the first occasion where an iPhone was impacted.

The World Health Organization states that many studies have been conducted over the years to understand if using mobile phones can have any negative effects on our health.

On its website, it says that there have been no known negative health effects linked to using mobile phones.