The French Agency of National Frequencies (ANFR) has briefly stopped selling Apple’s iPhone 12 series because of worries about radiation emissions.
This is the first time this has ever happened. The halt makes people wonder about the safety of the iPhone and also brings attention to the fact that different countries have different rules about electromagnetic radiation.
They did this because the iPhone 12’s “specific absorption rate” (SAR) a measure of how much radio waves the body absorbs was higher than the legal limit set by the European Union (EU).
The SAR rate of the iPhone 12 series was 5.74 watts per kilogram at a 5 mm distance, which was higher than the EU’s limit of 4.0 watts per kilogram.
Apple quickly replied, saying that its iPhone 12 line had been approved by several foreign groups and met all of the world’s radiation standards. To show that it was following the rules, the tech giant also said it had given ANFR full test results.
It’s interesting that global radiation rules aren’t always the same. Some experts say that the EU is being too cautious because its rules are much tighter than those in other parts of the world. But France’s moves have started a worldwide discussion about whether the current radiation standards are good enough.
As technology becomes more and more a part of everyday life, it’s important to talk about how it affects safety.
Now, are devices really as safe as we think they are, or is it time to push for a global standard for radiation limits? Apple is working with ANFR to solve the problem. With the release of the 2023 iPhone line, Apple is now in a bad light that could affect how safety rules are made around the world for tech.
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