France has ordered Apple to pause the sale of iPhone 12 in the country. The agency that regulates radio frequencies in the country, the ANFR, has alleged that tests revealed that the iPhone 12 model emits more electromagnetic waves. These increased waves are more susceptible to being absorbed by the human body than permitted.
According to a report by Reuters, the French watchdog said that it has “ordered Apple to remove the iPhone 12 from the French market from September 12 due to the model exceeding the limit” for electromagnetic absorption by the body.
The agency noted that accredited labs have discovered the absorption of electromagnetic energy by the body at 5.74 watts per kilogram. This was found during tests simulating the iPhone 12 being held in the hand or kept in a pocket. To compare, the European standard of a specific absorption rate of 4.0 watts per kilogram in such tests.
However, Apple has denied the allegations and said that the iPhone 12 model was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global radiation standards.
What ANFR said
In a statement on its website, ANFR said: “Concerning phones already sold, Apple must in the briefest of delays take corrective measures to bring the affected phones into compliance. Otherwise, Apple will have to recall them.”

The agency also noted that tests that measure the electromagnetic radiation absorbed at a distance of five centimetres complied with the limit of 2.0 watts per kilogram. ANFR also confirmed that its agents will soon start verifying that iPhone 12 models are no longer being offered for sale in France.

What Apple has to say
The company said that it has offered ANFR multiple Apple and independent third-party lab results to prove its compliance with all applicable SAR regulations and standards in the world. The iPhone maker also said that it was contesting the results of ANFR’s review and will acontinue to engage with the agency to show it is compliant.