To prevent the iPhone 12 from being banned in France, Apple is reportedly working to release a software update that is said to bring down the radiation levels to accommodate the request of French regulators. Before being officially released back in 2020, it was reported that Apple knew about this problem and instructed its employees to stay quiet about the whole thing. It does not appear that there will be any legal repercussions against the California-based giant this time.
Yes it’s a special update for that region alone. Apple does this quite often when a country requires special treatment. It rarely makes the news because well it’s not really news.
Probably just dial down the power emitted like some high end routers let you do in settings. It’ll make the cell service weaker but I don’t think Apple cares much for a device they no longer sell or manufacture anymore.