Apple refutes French report on radiation: iPhone 12 meets standards

Manzana defended its iPhone 12 model on Wednesday after a French regulatory body ordered its sales suspended, alleging non-compliance with European radiation exposure limits.

The German network regulator BNetzA He said he may initiate similar procedures and is in close contact with French authorities.

Manzana said in a statement that the iPhone 12, launched in 2020, was certified by multiple international bodies as compatible with global radiation standards, which provided several own and third-party laboratory results proving the phone’s compliance to the French agency, and who was challenging his findings.

The National Frequency Agency (ANFR) on Tuesday ordered Apple to stop sales of the iPhone 12 in France after tests showed that the phone’s specific absorption rate (SAR) – an indicator of the rate of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body of a device – was higher than that legally permitted.

The agency said it will send agents to stores Manzana and to other distributors to verify that the model is no longer for sale and that, if they do not act, the iPhone 12 already sold to consumers would be withdrawn.

Industry experts said there are no safety risks, as regulatory SAR limits were set well below the levels at which scientists have found evidence of harm.

Researchers have conducted a large number of studies over the past two decades to evaluate the health risks from mobile phones. According to the World Health Organization, based on decades of research, no adverse health effects caused by its use have been established so far.

He International Cancer Research Centerwhich sets global guidelines on SAR limits, in 2011 classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields resulting from mobile phone use as “possibly carcinogenic”.

This designation – which also includes the sweetener aspartame, aloe vera extract and some pickled vegetables – indicates that there is limited evidence that something can cause cancer, and is also intended to encourage more research.

Threat of withdrawal

The ANFR stated that accredited laboratories detected electromagnetic energy absorption by the body of 5.74 watts per kilogram during tests that simulated when the iPhone 12 was held in the hand or stored in the pocket of the pants. The European standard establishes a specific absorption rate of 4 W/kg.

The agency added that tests showed that the phone meets the standards when it is in a jacket pocket or in a bag. It also passed tests when held directly next to the head, as if making a call.

“From a health and safety point of view, this does not appear to endanger anyone.” said Professor Rodney Croft, chair of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), which sets global guidelines on SAR limits.

The limits are already set ten times below the level at which scientists found evidence of damage, he added, noting that the French results could differ from those of other regulatory bodies because the ANFR assesses radiation with a method that involves direct contact. of the skin, without intermediate textile layers, between the device and the user.

The French Minister of Digital Economy, Jean-Noel Barrotstated that a software update would be enough to solve the radiation problems.

“It is expected that Manzana respond within two weeks“, he told the newspaper Le Parisien in an interview late on Tuesday, adding that “If they don’t, I am willing to order the recall of all iPhone 12s in circulation. The rule is the same for everyone, including the digital giants”.

The ANFR will now transmit its findings to regulators in other European Union member states. “In practical terms, this decision could have a snowball effect“, said Barrot.

The German radiation control agency, BfSsaid the French decision could have implications for all of Europe.

“The procedure in France has a guiding function for all of Europe”said the German network regulator BNetzAadding that a similar process could begin in Germany.

Source: Reuters