Apple to settle iPhone 12 dispute in France amid increased scrutiny in European Union

PARIS, Sept 15 (Reuters) – Apple Inc ( AAPL.O ) pledged on Friday to update software for its iPhone 12s in France to resolve disputes over radiation levels, but concerns in other European countries suggest the company may need to take similar action elsewhere. .

This week France suspended sales of iPhone 12 phones after tests allegedly breached radiation exposure limits.

Apple has disputed the findings and said the iPhone 12 has been certified by multiple international organizations as conforming to global standards, but announced Friday that it would release a software update to reflect the testing methods used in France.

Researchers have conducted numerous studies over the past two decades to assess the health risks of cell phones. According to the World Health Organization, no adverse health effects have been demonstrated.

But France’s radiation warning, based on different test results than other countries, has sparked concern across Europe.

Belgium’s minister of state for digitization said he asked Apple to update iPhone 12 software across the European Union, although he said the phone did not pose a risk to users after an initial review by the Belgian regulator.

Germany said it was contacting French authorities to find a solution at the EU level, while Italy will ask Apple to update the software on the iPhone 12s there, a government source in Rome said.

However, a second Italian government source said a request to Apple or a separate decision from Italian authorities would only come after the French investigation is complete.

The Dutch Digital Infrastructure Authority said it is also conducting its own investigation, which is expected to last two weeks, and is in contact with Apple and German and French authorities. The company said it has received calls from concerned customers.

The French government has welcomed Apple’s software update, saying it is being tested quickly and should allow sales of the relatively old iPhone 12 model launched in 2020 to resume.

“We will release a software update for users in France to reflect the protocol used by French regulators. We look forward to the continued availability of iPhone 12 in France,” Apple said in a statement.

“It is related to a specific test protocol of the French regulators and does not pose any security risk,” he added.

Apple regularly releases software updates for its phones and computers, often to fix a security issue. You can focus on a specific model or region, and Apple releases such updates sometimes a few times a month.

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France’s National Radio Frequency Agency (ANFR) said Tuesday that the specific absorption rate (SAR) of the iPhone 12 — a measure of the rate of radio frequency energy absorbed by the body from a device — was higher than allowed by law, prompting it to suspend sales.

Changes to French regulations in 2020 allowed SAR testing for the hands and feet – such as when holding a phone – as well as the head and elsewhere on the body. SAR testing by a French team where the iPhone 12 failed measured a distance of 0mm, compared to 5mm in the in-body test.

Belgium’s digitization minister Mathieu Michel said in a statement on Friday that while the IBPT regulator’s review of the phone was still ongoing, preliminary results were “reassuring” and there was no reason to recall the phone in 2019. Belgium.

However, he said he contacted Apple and asked the company to “review its software updates across Europe in the same way.”

Denmark has also reassured phone owners, saying its security agency will not take any action following France’s findings and is not concerned about radiation levels from iPhone 12 use.

“Based on the available information, the Danish Health Authority assesses that you can safely continue to use your iPhone 12,” he said in an emailed statement.

Industry experts say there is no safety risk because legal limits based on the risk of burns or heat stroke from phone radiation are far below the level of harm scientists have found.

“Ultimately, I suspect the whole incident will be quickly forgotten,” said Ben Wood, senior analyst at CCS Insights, stressing that the iPhone 12 is an older model.

Apple launched the iPhone 15 on Tuesday and the iPhone 12 is not available directly from Apple. However, they can be bought from third parties who stock or trade in old phones.

France threatened a possible recall if Apple refused to update the software.

Apple’s total sales in Europe last year were about $95 billion, making the region the second largest after America. Some estimates say the company sold more than 50 million iPhones in Europe last year.

The American company does not break down its sales by country or model.

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