French authorities receive Apple software update after iPhone 12 controversy – ministry source


An Apple iPhone 12 in a mobile phone store in Nantes

An Apple iPhone 12 is photographed in a mobile phone store in Nantes, France on September 13, 2023. Reuters/Stephen Mahe/File Photo Get licensing rights

PARIS, Sept 26 (Reuters) – French authorities have received a software update from Apple (AAPL.O) for its iPhone 12 and are reviewing it as a solution to the radiation problem, a source at the French digital ministry said. told Reuters on Tuesday.

Apple promised to update software to reduce controversy over radiation levels from iPhone 12 handsets, after France suspended sales of the phones earlier this month after tests said radiation Violation of exposure limits was found.

France threatened to recall the product if Apple refused to update the software.

Apple had previously protested the French findings, saying the iPhone 12 had been certified as conforming to global standards by multiple international bodies, but said on September 15 that it would launch a software program to adjust the testing methods used in France. Will release updates.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

The move by Paris to suspend sales of iPhone 12 handsets had sparked concern in other European countries, including Belgium, which has also called for a software upgrade.

But the software update was limited to France, the Belgian industry regulator told Reuters in an emailed statement.

The Belgian regulator also said it expected to take further steps at the European level after French authorities informed its peers about the improvement and the fact that it is not widely available in the EU.

French regulator Agence Nationale des Frequencies did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Dutch digital watchdog also did not respond to a request for comment.

Italian officials will wait for French discussions on the Apple update before making any decisions, an Italian government source said.

Researchers have conducted several studies over the past two decades to assess the health risks of mobile phones. According to the World Health Organization, these have not caused any adverse health effects.

The radiation warning in France was based on the results of tests that differed from those conducted in other countries.

Industry experts said there was no safety risk because regulatory limits based on the risk of burns or heatstroke from phone radiation were set well below levels where scientists have found evidence of harm.

Apple launched the iPhone 15 earlier this month and the iPhone 12 is not available for purchase directly from Apple. However, it can be purchased from third parties who have inventory, or trade in old phones.

Apple regularly provides software updates for its phones and computers, mostly to fix security issues. They may be focused on a particular model or region, and sometimes Apple releases several updates a month.

The iPhone 12 update is set to be similar to any of these regular software fixes. Apple pings iPhones for eligible software updates and users install them.

Reporting by Elizabeth Pineau; Additional reporting by Supanth Mukherjee in Stockholm, Benoit Van Overstraten in Paris, Marine Strauss in Brussels, Elvira Pollina and Giuseppe Fonte in Milan; Written by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Jane Merriman

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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