[First reaction] “New smartphone withdrawals in France: Time to move up a gear in Europe”

In a press release published on 25 July 2019, relayed by the 60 million consumers website, the French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) announced the withdrawal of two new smartphones marketed by the Malaysian company LEAGOO INTELLIGENCE CO. and by the Romanian company S.C. VISUAL FAN SRL.

Indeed, the tests of “trunk” SAR controls carried out in August and October 2018 by an approved laboratory showed that :

“ANFR measurements revealed values exceeding this limit. Indeed, the SAR of the LEAGOO S8 phone was measured at 2.39 W/Kg and that of the ALLVIEW X4 SOUL MINI S phone at 4.6 W/Kg”

Ministerial order prohibiting the sale of goods

A decree of 12 July 2019, published in the Journal officiel de la République française on 20 July 2019, prohibited the placing on the market and putting into service of the LEAGOO S8 and ALLVIEW X4 SOUL MINI S phones. In addition, these phones will be withdrawn from the market and service wherever they are located.

This is the first time such a procedure has been used. Indeed, the withdrawals of the Hapi 30 (Orange) and Neffos mobile phones in April and May 2018 had not been the subject of such an approach by the French public authorities.

More than 250 models with SAR much higher than those sanctioned today and among the best-selling on the market are still in the hands and pockets of their users. Moreover, the public authorities have not carried out the necessary information campaigns to make consumers aware that they should no longer keep their mobile phones in contact with the body.

Total impunity of manufacturers at European level

With around twenty models pinpointed in a few months in France, a key question arises: why do European authorities and other national regulatory agencies demonstrate such inertia? Especially since these models are sold throughout Europe and internationally.

We have therefore decided to write to the new European Chairman of the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee, Mr Pascal Canfin, to raise his awareness of these issues and ask him to take action to better protect the health of mobile phone users.

For Dr. Marc Arazi, President of Phonegate Alert:

“Europe must change its approach to bringing mobile phones, tablets and all connected objects to the European market. It is time to move up a gear and put an end to the opacity surrounding the health risks associated with the European Directive (2014/53/EU art 5 paragraph 4).”