France’s iPhone 12 ban could spread across Europe, regulators say

Fears of high radiation levels could result in continent-wide recall, regulators warn

A photograph taken on 13 September, 2023 in Paris shows information of an iPhone 12 reflected in the Apple logo, as French regulators ordered Apple to halt sales for emitting too much electromagnetic radiation (Getty Images)

France’s ban of iPhone 12 sales due to radiation fears could have Europe-wide implications, regulators in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands have warned.

Apple will have to recall all iPhone 12 phones in France if corrective updates do not work, the country’s National Frequency Agency (ANFR) said on Tuesday, after tests revealed electromagnetic radiation that was 40 per cent above the legal limit.

On Wednesday, the Dutch digital watchdog said it was looking into the ANFR report and is seeking an explanation from the US tech giant.

“A norm has been exceeded. Fortunately, there is no acute safety risk but we will very shortly have a talk with producer,” Angeline van Dijk, an inspector with the Nederlandse Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur (RDI), told the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

“The Netherlands attaches as much importance as France to safe use of mobile phones. Mobile phones must comply with European norms.”

Belgium and Germany followed with statements of their own on Thursday, with network regulators saying that the French procedure could have a guiding function for the whole of Europe.

The Independent has reached out to Apple for comment.

Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s junior minister for digital economy, said on Tuesday that the ANFR’s data would be shared with other EU member states, potentially leading to a “snowball effect” for Apple.

“Apple is expected to respond within two weeks,” he told the French newspaper Le Parisien.

“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.”

The iPhone 12 series of smartphones were already set to be discontinued following the unveiling of the iPhone 15 on Tuesday, meaning any sales ban would not have a significant impact on Apple’s phone sales.

A continent-wide recall would have considerable implications for the world’s richest company, however, if a solution is not found.