Apple accused of iPhone 12 exceeding radiation limits, France threatens to ban device

HIGHLIGHTS

• iPhone 12 reportedly exceeds the permissible limits of radiation exposure.
• Apple has denied the allegations saying that all its products go through rigorous testing to ensure that the devices are safe.
• This comes shortly after Apple discontinued the iPhone 12 following the iPhone 15 launch.

Apple is in the soup again, and this time it’s for allegations against the iPhone 12 exceeding radiation levels. The iPhone maker has been warned by France to stop selling the iPhone 12, and even threatened to ban the device altogether. While Apple has denied these allegations, the company reportedly asked its employees to not share anything about the iPhone 12’s radiation levels.

iPhone 12 exceeds radiation levels

The iPhone 12 has been found to exceed the permitted limits of radiation exposure. Upon finding so, Apple has been warned by France’s digital and telecommunications minister to release a software update for the iPhone 12 that will reduce its radiation levels. Failing to do so will lead to the device getting banned in the country.

Apple is facing heat not only from France but Germany and Spain as well with consumer rights groups concerned about the radiation issue. It seems to have reached Belgium as well with the country’s regulator reviewing the iPhone 12’s potential health risks.

Apple has refuted these allegations, and whether it will issue a software update or not isn’t confirmed yet. But it has reportedly asked employees to say that they “have nothing to share” when asked about the iPhone 12’s radiation levels. It has also asked employees to tell consumers that “all Apple products go through rigorous testing to ensure that they’re safe”, according to a report by Bloomberg.

This situation is a bit confusing though because of the timing as Apple has discontinued the iPhone 12 after the iPhone 15 that launched earlier this week. This means that Apple will no longer sell the iPhone 12 but it will still be available through authorised resellers, and until stocks last. This however, does not solve the problem for people who already own the iPhone 12. How Apple plans to deal with the situation isn’t known yet, and whether this too will end up in a lawsuit.