Switzerland blindly trusts Apple
blick.ch, 18 September 2023, updated 19 September 2023 - auto-translation
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| National Councilor Marionna Schlatter |
(Photo):For Green Party National Councilor Marionna Schlatter, the case shows how important state control of radiation protection is. So far it doesn't exist in Switzerland.
The announcement from the French radiation regulatory authority sent waves far beyond the country's borders. Last week it announced that the iPhone 12 had failed a check to ensure compliance with radiation limits. The so-called SAR value, which indicates how much radiation a device emits, was higher than permitted when there was direct physical contact or when the cell phone was in the pocket.
The authorities reacted immediately. The manufacturer Apple was instructed to temporarily remove the smartphone model, which came onto the market in 2020, from sale in France and to take measures to ensure that the radiation limits are adhered to.
And what about Switzerland?
The case in France also shows a need for action in Switzerland. This is what Green Party National Councilor Marionna Schlatter thinks. The same SAR limits apply here as in France and the entire EU area.
But unlike its western neighbor, the authorities in Switzerland are not yet interested in whether the limit values are actually being adhered to. There is not even an authority that exercises market supervision, as the Federal Council recently announced in response to Schlatter's proposal.
“This is negligent”
“That’s negligent,” says the Zurich native. The latest “scandal” – not the first, as she emphasizes – shows that you can’t just blindly trust in personal responsibility.
The Green National Councilor is not letting up. During the National Council's question time on Monday, she wants to know from the Federal Council how the authorities are reacting to the French test result for the iPhone 12. “Is the Federal Council still of the opinion that there is no need for control or that it can be ruled out that the health of the population is at risk?”
The federal government doesn't know who is responsible
When asked by Blick, the Federal Office of Communications (Bakom) does not want to comment on the test results of the French authorities - because they are not sure whether they are even responsible for them. The Office points out that a working group is currently examining under whose area of responsibility radiation control falls. This working group may then also make suggestions as to how the current regulation - which obviously needs to be improved - should be adapted.
Other countries have reacted to the sales stop in France. According to the Reuters news agency, the relevant authorities in Belgium, Denmark, Germany and Italy are in contact with Apple.
Software update probably also for Swiss
Meanwhile, the company announced last Friday that it would provide a software update for users in France. If the French regulatory authority confirms that the problem has been resolved, the model can be sold again.
Bakom reports that it assumes that the update “will most likely also affect Swiss devices”. (hal)
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