France bans iPhone 12 sales until further notice

GENEVA

France ordered Apple on Tuesday to withdraw its iPhone 12 from sale after tests found that the model was producing radiation levels which exceeded regulatory thresholds.

"Marketing of the iPhone 12 has been halted in France until Apple offers an update for all affected devices," Minister for Digital Transition and Telecommunications Jean-Noel Barrot said on X.

Barrot asked the National Frequency Agency (ANFR), France’s radiation watchdog, to "fully mobilize its agents to ensure that this ban is respected."

Earlier, the ANFR said in a statement that it recently checked the Specific Absorption Rates (SARs) of 141 phones, including the iPhone 12. SAR quantifies the energy carried by electromagnetic waves and absorbed by the human body.

Noting that an exceedance of the SAR limit was observed with the iPhone 12, the ANFR urged Apple to implement all available means to rapidly remedy this malfunction.

"Failing this, Apple will be required to recall any units already sold," it added.

In Europe, when a phone is held in the hand or in a trouser pocket, it must have a radiation level of 4 watts per kilogram, while the ANFR revealed that this amount was 5.74 W/kg in the iPhone 12.