This week in “conspiracy theories that maybe turned out to be totally or partially legitimate,” French authorities recently banned the distribution of the iPhone 12 due to testing that indicated above-threshold radiation levels.
Via The Epoch Times (emphasis added):
Regulators in France on Sept. 12 ordered tech giant Apple to pause sales of one of its iPhones in the country amid concerns it emits too much electromagnetic radiation.
France’s National Frequency Agency (ANFR) notified Apple of its decision to ban sales of the iPhone 12 after conducting tests that showed that the smartphone’s specific absorption rate (SAR) was slightly above the legal limit, Minister for Digital Transition and Telecommunications Jean-Noel Barrot told Le Parisien.
That means the iPhones, which have been sold by Apple since 2020, were emitting more electromagnetic waves susceptible to be absorbed by the body than legally permitted.
Why in France, and why now, when these concerns have been around for decades at this point? That’s anyone’s guess. What it’s almost certainly not about is France, led by globalist pawn Emmanuel Macron, looking out for the best interests of the French people. Likely, there’s some geopolitical angle here that’s undisclosed.
But if it’s a net positive for actual public health, at least in terms of raising awareness, maybe we ought not to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Another question: even if it’s definitively proven that the electromagnetic waves emitted by iPhones are harmful to health, should they be banned? The general conservative/libertarian position would likely be “no.”
For its part, Apple is reportedly prohibiting employees from discussing potential radiation issues with customers — even when they specifically ask about them.
Via Bloomberg (emphasis added):
Apple Inc., facing a controversy in France over the iPhone 12’s radiation levels, has advised tech-support staff not to volunteer any information when consumers ask about the issue.
If customers inquire about the French government’s claim that the model exceeds standards for electromagnetic radiation, workers should say they don’t have anything to share, Apple employees have been told. Staff should also reject customers’ requests to return or exchange the phone unless it was purchased in the past two weeks — Apple’s normal return policy.
Customers asking if the phone is safe should answer be told that all Apple products go through rigorous testing to ensure that they’re safe*, according to the guidance.
*The company’s “rigorous testing” and “safe” line smacks of a certain pharmaceutical product in recent memory, no?
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