PARIS, Sept 13 (Reuters) – Apple Inc (AAPL.O) defended its iPhone 12 models on Wednesday after a French watchdog ordered a ban on their sale due to violations of European Union radiation exposure limits. did.
France’s action raises the possibility of further bans in Europe. Germany’s network regulator BNetzA said it may initiate similar proceedings and is in close contact with French authorities, while Spain’s OCU consumer group has asked local authorities to stop sales of the iPhone 12. requested that it be done.
Apple said in a statement that the iPhone 12, launched in 2020, has been certified as compliant with global radiation standards by multiple international organizations, and that the phone is compliant with French authorities. He said he provided several Apple and third-party laboratory results to prove it. disputed the findings.
Researchers have conducted a huge number of studies over the past two decades to assess the health risks posed by mobile phones. According to the World Health Organization, no adverse health effects caused by cell phone use have been identified so far.
The French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) announced on Tuesday that the iPhone 12 in France has been tested for its specific absorption rate (SAR), a measure of the proportion of radio frequency energy that is absorbed by the human body from the device. We have notified Apple to stop selling the product. – exceeded the amount legally allowed.
The watchdog agency will send agents to Apple Stores and other retailers to verify that the model is no longer on sale, and if they fail to do so, they will be able to remove iPhone 12 models that have already been sold to consumers. He said it would lead to a recall.
Industry experts said there was no safety risk because SAR regulations were set far below levels at which scientists had found evidence of harm.
“From a health and safety perspective, this is not putting anyone at risk,” said Professor Rodney Croft, chair of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). SAR Limitations.
The limit is already set 10 times lower than the level at which scientists have found evidence of harm, based on the risk of burns and heat stroke from cell phone radiation.
Croft said the French findings are in line with those recorded by other regulators because ANFR assesses radiation using a method that assumes direct skin contact, with no intermediate fibrous layer between the device and the user. said it could be different.
French government officials also said the French test was different from the method used by Apple.
To date, 42 sales of smartphones have been suspended in Japan due to radiation testing. This is the first time Apple has been affected by such a move.
Recall threat
According to ANFR, an accredited laboratory found an absorption of 5.74 watts of electromagnetic energy per kilogram by the human body in tests that simulated holding an iPhone 12 in the hand or in a pants pocket. . The European standard is a specific absorption rate of 4.0 watts/kg.
ANFR added that the test showed compliance with so-called body SAR standards when the phone is in a jacket pocket or bag. It also passed the French test when held directly to the head as if making a phone call.
French Digital Economy Undersecretary Jean-Noël Barrault said software updates were enough to solve the radiation problem.
“Apple will respond within two weeks,” he told the daily Le Parisien in an interview on Tuesday, adding, “If they don’t respond, we are prepared to order a recall of all iPhone 12s in circulation.” There is,” he added. The same goes for everyone, including digital giants. ”
ANFR will now communicate its findings to regulatory authorities in other European Union member states. “Realistically speaking, this decision could have a snowball effect,” Barot said.
“The French procedure serves as a guide for the whole of Europe,” Germany’s BNetzA network regulator said, adding that Germany could also initiate a similar procedure.
Germany’s radiation watchdog group BfS also said France’s decision could have implications across Europe.
Apple does not release sales figures by country or model. Sales in Europe totaled about $95 billion last year, making the region the second-largest after the Americas. By some estimates, the company sold more than 50 million iPhones in Europe last year. The company launched the iPhone 15 on Tuesday.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, which sets global guidelines for SAR limits, classified radio-frequency electromagnetic fields resulting from mobile phone use as “possibly carcinogenic” in 2011.
The designation also includes the sweetener aspartame, aloe vera extract, and some pickled vegetables, which indicate there is limited evidence of substances that can cause cancer. The aim is to encourage further research.
Mathieu Rosemain, Tashilo Hummel and Elisabeth Pinault report in Paris, Hakan Elsen in Frankfurt, Emma Pinedo Gonzalez in Madrid and Jennifer Rigby in London. Written by Silvia Aloisi.Editing: Mark Potter
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