EU forces Apple to cut iPhone 12 radiation after two-year battle

Apple is releasing a software update for iPhone 12 devices across all 27 European Union member states to reduce

electromagnetic radiation emissions

and comply with

EU health standards

. The update will be rolled out "in the coming weeks" following a

European Commission

decision endorsing France's regulatory concerns as "justified."The move stems from France's September 2023 order halting iPhone 12 sales after the country's radio frequency agency (ANFR) found the device exceeded limits for electromagnetic absorption by the human body. Apple was required to fix existing devices to meet European radiation compliance standards, leading to a France-only software update that reduced the phone's transmitter power.On Monday, the European Commission confirmed ANFR's findings and backed the regulatory measures, prompting Apple to extend the radiation-reducing update continent-wide. The Commission described France's actions as appropriate and necessary for consumer protection.Apple continues to dispute the testing methodology used by French regulators, maintaining that ANFR's protocol failed to account for the iPhone's off-body detection mechanism. The company argues this feature has been "thoroughly tested and verified internationally to be an effective mechanism to comply with SAR requirements."

"We continue to disagree with the French ANFR's testing approach, but respect the European Commission's decision," Apple stated. "Customers can use their iPhone 12 with full confidence, just as they always have."The software modification reduces the power output of the iPhone 12's radio transmitters when the device is held close to the body, addressing concerns about

specific absorption rate

(SAR) levels that measure how much electromagnetic energy human tissue absorbs from mobile devices.