Current:Home > MarketsThe iPhone 12 emits too much radiation and Apple must take it off the market, a French agency says-InfoLens
The iPhone 12 emits too much radiation and Apple must take it off the market, a French agency says
View Date:2024-12-23 15:21:33
PARIS (AP) — A government watchdog agency in France has ordered Apple to withdraw the iPhone 12 from the French market, saying it emits levels of electromagnetic radiation that are too high.
The National Frequency Agency, which oversees radio-electric frequencies as well as public exposure to electromagnetic radiation, called on Apple in a statement Tuesday to “implement all available means to rapidly fix this malfunction” for phones already being used.
Corrective updates to the iPhone 12 will be monitored by the agency, and if they don’t work, “Apple will have to recall” phones that have already been sold, according to the French regulator’s statement.
Apple disputed the findings and said the device complies with all regulations governing radiation.
The agency, which is known by the French acronym ANFR, said it recently checked 141 cellphones, including the iPhone 12, for electromagnetic waves capable of being absorbed by the body.
It said it found a level of electromagnetic energy absorption of 5.74 watts per kilogram during tests of a phone in a hand or a pocket, higher than the European Union standard of 4 watts per kilogram.
The agency said the iPhone 12 met the threshold when radiation levels were assessed for a phone kept in a jacket or in a bag.
Apple said the iPhone 12, which was released in late 2020, has been certified by multiple international bodies and complies with all applicable regulations and standards for radiation around the world.
The U.S. tech company said it has provided the French agency with multiple lab results carried out both by the company and third-party labs proving the phone’s compliance.
Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s minister in charge of digital issues, told France Info radio that the National Frequency Agency “is in charge of controlling our phones which, as there are software updates, may emit a little more or a little less electromagnetic waves.”
He said that the iPhone 12 radiation levels are “slightly higher” than the standards but “significantly lower than levels where scientific studies consider there may be consequences for users. But the rule is the rule.”
Cellphones have been labeled as “possible” carcinogens by the World Health Organization’s cancer research arm, putting them in the same category as coffee, diesel fumes and the pesticide DDT. The radiation produced by cellphones cannot directly damage DNA and is different from stronger types of radiation like X-rays or ultraviolet light.
In 2018, two U.S. government studies that bombarded mice and rats with cellphone radiation found a weak link to some heart tumors, but federal regulators and scientists said it was still safe to use the devices. Scientists said those findings didn’t reflect how most people use their cellphones and that the animal findings didn’t translate into a similar concern for humans.
Among the largest studies on potential dangers of cellphone use, a 2010 analysis in 13 countries found little or no risk of brain tumors.
People’s mobile phone habits also have changed substantially since the first studies began and it’s unclear if the results of previous research would still apply today.
Since many tumors take years to develop, experts say it’s difficult to conclude that cellphones have no long-term health risks. Experts have recommended that people concerned about their cellphone radiation exposure use earphones or switch to texting.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- New Yorkers vent their feelings over the election and the Knicks via subway tunnel sticky notes
- How long to cook burgers on grill: Temperatures and times to remember.
- Sierra Leone outlaws child marriage. Even witnesses to such weddings can face jail time.
- 'Dangerous' heat wave settles over California and Oregon, expected to last days
- Prosecutors say some erroneous evidence was given jurors at ex-Sen. Bob Menendez’s bribery trial
- 4th of July fireworks show: Hayden Springer shoots 59 to grab the lead at John Deere Classic
- Biden cancels speech at teachers union convention in Philadelphia after union staff goes on strike
- LSU offers local freshmen $3,000 to live at home this semester
- Tua Tagovailoa tackle: Dolphins QB laughs off taking knee to head vs. Rams on 'MNF'
- Pongamia trees grow where citrus once flourished, offering renewable energy and plant-based protein
Ranking
- Kentucky gets early signature win at Champions Classic against Duke | Opinion
- The Minnesota Dam That Partially Failed Is One of Nearly 200 Across the Upper Midwest in Similarly ‘Poor’ Condition
- Argentina bails out Messi in shootout to advance past Ecuador in Copa América thriller
- Pink's undisclosed health issue and the need for medical privacy
- Multi-State Offshore Wind Pact Weakened After Connecticut Sits Out First Selection
- Beryl set to strengthen on approach to Texas due to hot ocean temperatures
- After hitting Yucatan Peninsula, Beryl churns in Gulf of Mexico as Texas braces for potential hit
- New Dutch leader pledges to cut immigration as the opposition vows to root out racists in cabinet
Recommendation
-
Tua Tagovailoa playing with confidence as Miami Dolphins hope MNF win can spark run
-
Ranger wounded, suspect dead in rare shooting at Yellowstone National Park, NPS says
-
Rail cars carrying hazardous material derail and catch fire in North Dakota
-
July Fourth violence nationwide kills at least 26, Chicago ‘in state of grief,’ mayor says
-
Quincy Jones' cause of death revealed: Reports
-
Proof Julia Roberts and Danny Moder Are Closer Than Ever After 22 Years of Marriage
-
Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett shows an independence from majority view in recent opinions
-
Martha Stewart posted photos of her beige living room, and commenters took it personally