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Countries banning iphone
Executive summary
Multiple countries and jurisdictions have at various times restricted sales or use of specific iPhone models or Apple devices — examples in reporting include France stopping iPhone 12 sales over radiation test results (ANFR), Indonesia banning sales of the iPhone 16 for not meeting local component rules, and government workplace bans on iPhones in China and Russia applied to officials or state employees rather than blanket public bans [1] [2] [3] [4]. Coverage shows the reasons differ widely — safety/regulatory testing, domestic-industry rules, national security/cybersecurity concerns and legal disputes — and are often limited to particular models, procurement rules, or government employees rather than outright, permanent national prohibitions [1] [2] [3] [5].
1. France: a sales halt over radiation compliance — what happened and why it matters
France’s radio‑frequency regulator ANFR ordered a stop to sales of the iPhone 12 after independent tests found two units exceeding EU limits for specific absorption rate (SAR), and that action prompted other European regulators to review the model; Apple disputed the findings and the matter was reported as a targeted regulatory compliance issue rather than a political ban on Apple generally [1] [6] [7].
2. Indonesia: industrial policy trumps product preference
Jakarta banned sales of the iPhone 16 and certain Google Pixel models because Apple and Google had not met Indonesia’s TKDN requirement — a rule that phones sold there must source at least 40% of components locally; reporting frames this as an industrial‑policy move to boost local manufacturing and not strictly a consumer safety or security ban [2] [8].
3. China and Russia: workplace and government restrictions driven by security concerns
China has ordered officials at central agencies not to use foreign‑branded phones, including iPhones, for government work to reduce reliance on foreign technology and protect sensitive data; similarly, some Russian agencies have told employees not to use iPhones for government mail and apps while permitting personal use, reflecting national‑security and procurement concerns rather than a consumer sales prohibition [3] [9] [4].
4. Legal cases and product recalls: temporary model‑specific bans happen elsewhere
Courts and regulators have on occasion ordered removal or restrictions on particular iPhone models for patent licensing disputes or other legal reasons — for example, past rulings in China and Germany affected older iPhone models because of Qualcomm litigation — demonstrating bans are sometimes the outcome of legal rulings, not blanket national policy against Apple devices [5].
5. Varied motives — safety, industry policy, security, legal disputes
Reporting across these examples shows four recurring motives: [10] compliance with technical safety or radiation limits (France) [1]; [11] protection of or preference for domestic industry through local content rules (Indonesia) [2]; [12] national security and cybersecurity concerns applied to government use (China, Russia) [3] [4]; and [13] outcomes of legal or patent disputes (China, Germany) [5]. Each motive implies a different scope and likely remedy — e.g., product remediation, local investment, procurement switches, or legal appeals.
6. Scope and nuance: “ban” rarely means blanket, permanent prohibition
The sources repeatedly distinguish between model‑specific sales stops, government‑employee usage bans, and temporary legal blockades; none of the cited reporting describes a single country imposing a permanent, nationwide ban on all iPhone sales and ownership for the general public — instead, actions are targeted [1] [2] [3] [5].
7. Competing perspectives and Apple’s responses
In cases cited, Apple has pushed back: contesting regulatory conclusions about SAR testing in Europe and negotiating with Indonesia by offering investment to meet local rules; these defenses indicate Apple views some measures as technical or negotiable rather than legitimate attempts to exclude its products entirely [1] [2].
8. What to watch next — potential spillovers and political context
France’s move prompted other EU countries to review the iPhone 12, and Indonesia’s industrial rules attracted attention from Chinese and other manufacturers entering the market, suggesting regulatory actions can ripple internationally and are entangled with geopolitical and economic agendas — regulators may cite consumer safety or industry policy while also advancing broader strategic goals [7] [8].
Limitations and gaps: available sources do not provide a definitive list of every country that has at any point restricted iPhone models, nor do they document any universal, permanent national bans on all iPhones for consumers; several other online pieces (including summarizing lists) exist but are not in the current set of sources, so further reporting could add historical examples or updates beyond what’s cited here (not found in current reporting).