French Regulators: iPhone 12 Radiation Levels Too High

French regulators have ordered Apple to cease selling the iPhone 12, stating that it emits electromagnetic radiation levels exceeding European Union standards for exposure.

It remains unclear why the iPhone 12, which was released in late 2020, did not pass the agency's latest round of tests and why it pertains only to that specific model. I Photo: Apple

The company has contested these findings, asserting that the device complies with regulations. Kelvin Chan and Sylvie Corbet reported this for the Associated Press (AP).

The French government agency responsible for managing wireless communications frequencies issued the order after the iPhone 12 recently failed one of two types of tests for electromagnetic waves capable of being absorbed by the body.

It remains unclear why the phone, which was released in late 2020, did not pass the agency's latest round of tests and why it pertains only to that specific model. France's digital minister noted that the iPhone 12's radiation levels are still considerably lower than levels that scientific studies suggest could be harmful to users.

Furthermore, the agency acknowledges that its tests do not reflect typical phone usage.

On Tuesday, the National Frequency Agency called on Apple to "take all available measures to promptly rectify this malfunction" for phones already in use. It also stated that it would monitor device updates.

If these measures do not prove effective, the agency indicated that "Apple will be required to recall" phones that have already been sold.

The agency recently tested 141 cellphones and discovered that when the iPhone 12 is held in a hand or carried in a pocket, its level of electromagnetic energy absorption measures 5.74 watts per kilogram, exceeding the EU standard of 4 watts per kilogram.

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