France’s junior minister for the digital economy has declared that Apple is required to cease the sale of its iPhone 12 model in the country due to radiation levels surpassing permissible thresholds. The announcement was made in an interview with Le Parisien, published on Tuesday.
The decision to ban iPhone 12 sales in France was communicated to Apple by France’s radiation regulatory authority, ANFR, subsequent to conducting tests that revealed the smartphone’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) slightly exceeded the legal limit, as conveyed by Jean-Noel Barrot to the publication. Apple has not yet responded to the ruling.
Barrot went on to explain that rectifying the radiation issues associated with the phone could be achieved through a software update. The U.S. company has been marketing this model in France since 2020.
“Apple is expected to respond within two weeks”, said Barrot. “If they fail to do so, I am prepared to order a recall of all iPhones 12 in circulation. The rule is the same for everyone, including the digital giants.”
