Regulators in EU countries have have opened investigations after France banned the sale of Apple’s iPhone 12 due to concerns about its radiation levels.
France’s National Frequency Agency (ANFR) said on Tuesday that the iPhone 12 exceeds European exposure limits for radiofrequency energy. The agency warned that Apple could be forced to recall the phones if it does not comply with the regulations.
Labs commissioned by ANFR found absorption of electromagnetic energy by the body at 5.74 watts per kilogram in test simulations. The European standard absorption rate is 4.0 watts per kilogram.
Apple has disputed the ANFR’s findings, saying that the iPhone 12 is safe.
The Dutch digital watchdog, the Nederlandse Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur (RDI), told news outlet Algemeen Dagblad it will contact Apple for an explanation of why the iPhone 12’s radiation levels exceeded the limits.
Germany’s network regulator, the Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA), said it will also investigate the iPhone 12 if France’s investigation finds that the phone is unsafe.
Belgium’s state secretary for digitalisation, Mathieu Michel, said his country will review the health risks of the iPhone 12. “It is my duty to make sure all citizens …. are safe,” he told Reuters.
Italy’s ministry of economic development said it is monitoring the situation, while Spain’s consumer group, the Organización de Consumidores y Usuarios (OCU), has called for a ban on iPhone 12 sales in the country until the investigations are complete.
Why this matters
The investigations by the EU countries come as concerns about the safety of smartphones and other wireless devices have grown in recent years. Some studies have linked exposure to radiofrequency energy from these devices to an increased risk of cancer, but the evidence is inconclusive.
Cellphones emit radiofrequency radiation, which is different from other types of radiation, such as X-rays, that are known to be harmful with repeated exposure.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that “the weight of scientific evidence has not linked exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phone use with any health problems,” while the American Cancer Society “does not have an official position” on the issue.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified radiofrequency energy as a “possible carcinogen,” but it has also said that more research is needed to determine the risks.
The WHO recommends that people limit their exposure to radiofrequency energy by keeping their phones away from their bodies and using hands-free devices when possible.
The iPhone 12 was first released in September 2020, and it is still sold worldwide. The latest news first broke on Tuesday the same day that Apple unveiled its new iPhone 15.
According to a report by Orange Business Intelligence Technology (ORBIT), a research and tech unit of Orange Group Nigeria, iPhones are the third most widely used smartphones in Nigeria, after Tecno and Inifinix, both Chinese-made smartphones. Samsung is in fourth place.
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