Why has France banned sale of the Apple iPhone 12?  

Hindustan Times
Tech Posted By Manshi Singh
Published Sep 16, 2023
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France's ANFR agency has banned Apple iPhone 12 sale in the country due to radiation levels exceeding EU limits.

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ANFR detected radiation levels exceeding European Union limits. The watchdog recommends a software update to address the problem.

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However, Apple disputes the findings, asserting that the iPhone 12 complies with international standards, as reported by Reuters. 

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2. The ANFR found that the iPhone 12's Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), a measure of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body, was higher than legally allowed in recent random tests.

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3. Jean-Noel Barrot, France's junior minister for the digital economy, suggested that a software update could potentially resolve the issue, but the ANFR threatened a device recall if Apple didn't address the problem.

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5. SAR, or Specific Absorption Rate, quantifies the energy dose the body absorbs from radiation sources and is measured in watts per kilogram of body weight. 

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6. Mobile phone radiation primarily causes body tissue heating above certain limits, potentially leading to issues such as burns, according to the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). 

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7. The ANFR's tests revealed a SAR of 5.74 watts per kilogram for the iPhone 12 when held or kept in a trouser pocket, while the EU standard is 4.0 watts per kilogram.  

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8. Health organizations like WHO haven't definitively linked mobile radiation to harm but seek more research; IARC termed it "possibly carcinogenic" in 2011.

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However, experts like Professor Rodney Croft, chair of ICNIRP, stated that this level poses no health risk.

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10. However, the company contests the ANFR's findings and has provided data from Apple and third-party labs to prove compliance with global SAR regulations.

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