HHS Orders Review of Cellphone Radiation as FDA Removes Safety Guidance
HHS, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., removed FDA webpages asserting cellphones' safety and launched a study to reassess radiofrequency radiation health effects, identify gaps.
Overview
HHS, led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., directed removal of FDA webpages that previously stated the weight of scientific evidence does not link cellphones to health problems.
HHS says the change clears the way for a study to reassess radiofrequency (RF) exposure from phones, identify knowledge gaps, and examine new technologies and risks.
Major health bodies — including the FDA, National Cancer Institute, and American Cancer Society — have generally found no causal link, though IARC labeled RF waves "possibly carcinogenic" in 2011.
A handful of animal studies suggest high RF exposure may be linked to tumors, but human research is inconsistent, limited, and has not established causation, experts say.
Critics call the move politicization and urge transparency; proponents want stricter exposure standards. The push could prompt renewed federal research and review of safety limits.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story as debunking alarmist claims: they use dismissive language ('alarmists', 'beating dead horses'), highlight studies and declining cancer trends, and emphasize missing FDA pages to suggest HHS suppression. Source quotes raising concerns are presented as minority views, while statistical evidence is foregrounded to delegitimize safety worries.
Sources (4)
FAQ
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., as HHS Secretary, directed the removal of FDA webpages stating that scientific evidence does not link cellphone radiofrequency radiation to health problems like cancer, to allow for a new study on RF exposure.
Major health organizations including the FDA, National Cancer Institute, and American Cancer Society state there is no causal link between cellphone use and health problems like cancer, though IARC classified RF waves as 'possibly carcinogenic' in 2011; human studies are inconsistent and show no causation.
HHS states the removal clears the way for a study to reassess radiofrequency exposure health effects, identify knowledge gaps, and examine new technologies and risks to ensure safety.[1]
Studies from 2025 show brain cancer incidence has declined or remained stable since 2000 despite skyrocketing cellphone use, with no association found between mobile phone use and increased brain cancer risk.[2]
Critics argue it politicizes science by suppressing FDA data confirming cellphone safety and reflects RFK Jr.'s long-held views on radiation risks, urging transparency in the new study.
History
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