Cellphone industry sues over San Francisco radiation law

San Francisco passed a new law last month that requires all retailers to display the amount of radiation a cellphone emits. Predictably, that law is now coming under fire from CTIA, the wireless industry group. CTIA has filed a lawsuit to block enforcement of the ordinance.

CTIA-The Wireless Association filed a lawsuit in a US District Court here calling for the law to be derailed on the grounds it would confuse, not help, people shopping for mobile telephones.

The effect of radiation from cellphones on users has become a highly contentious issue. As consumers become increasingly glued to their phones, researchers, environmental organizations and cellphone industry groups are debating the question of what exactly is the impact of the radiation emitted from the phones. So far, there has been no conclusive answer.

All cell phones sold in the United States must meet Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) standards regarding safe levels of radio wave exposure, according to the CTIA.

“The problem with the San Francisco ordinance is not the disclosure of wireless phone SAR values–that information is already publicly available,” says CTIA Vice President of Public Affairs John Walls in a statement. “CTIA’s objection is that displaying a phone’s SAR value at the point-of-sale suggests to the consumer that there is a meaningful safety distinction between FCC-compliant devices with different SAR levels.”

(July 27, 2010)

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