Belgium Reviews iPhone 12 Health Risks After France Sales Ban

Belgian regulators are looking into the matter and will eventually review all smartphone models on the market.

An Apple iPhone 12 in a mobile phone store in Nantes, France, on Sept. 13, 2023. Stephane Mahe/Reuters

Belgium said it would assess Apple’s iPhone 12 for potential health risks, after France halted sales of the phone over excess radiation.

France’s National Frequencies Agency (ANFR), which monitors public exposure to electromagnetic waves, notified other EU members about its findings on Sept 12.

French regulators called for the removal of the iPhone 12 from stores in the country and for already purchased models to be updated, after the same model passed ANFR radiation tests in 2021.

This time, the agency found that the specific absorption rate (SAR) of electromagnetic waves in the device exceeded legal health limits.

According to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, the SAR measures a body’s exposure to radiation sources, such as a cellphone.

Apple made about $95 billion in revenue from European countries in 2022, making the bloc its second largest earner behind the Americas.

Estimates suggest that the phone maker sold more than 50 million iPhones in Europe last year.

iPhone Model Exceeds Radiation Limits

The iPhone 12 is no longer directly available for purchase from Apple in France and other European countries, but it can still be bought from third parties such as Amazon France.