RFK Jr. takes step toward electromagnetic radiation rules

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the first step toward implementing regulations or health warnings for cellphones, wifi, and other technologies based on fringe concerns that electromagnetic radiation could cause health problems.Kennedy and his department are asking for public feedback on the health effects of electromagnetic fields, radiofrequency radiation, and wireless radiation exposure to update policy guidance as part of the Make America Healthy Again agenda.The secretary said in a press statement announcing the request for details that the MAHA Commission strategy report, authorized by President Donald Trump, instructed his agency to look into the health effects of wireless technology based upon long-disputed claims that exposure to such technology can cause health damage, including cancer. “Wireless technologies are part of daily life, and our science must keep pace,” Kennedy said, adding that he encourages “scientists, physicians, industry, public health experts, workers, parents, and citizens to bring us the best available evidence so we can identify the gaps and focus federal research where it is needed most.” Mobile phones, WiFi, wearables, 5G, and smart home devices are among the array of technologies on which HHS is seeking public comment.The HHS research project is intended to identify critical research gaps and develop science-based recommendations for policymakers, according to the department’s press release, but it could cause problems for Kennedy with other executive agencies. The Federal Communications Commission, which regulates radiofrequency exposure, asserts on its website that there is “no scientific evidence establishes a causal link between wireless device use and cancer or other illnesses” and that “there is no basis on which to establish a different safety threshold than our current requirements.” The FCC in recent months has fielded thousands of public comments opposing a proposed rule that would undermine the authority of state and local governments to restrict wireless infrastructure. The anti-vaccine group Children’s Health Defense, which Kennedy chaired since 2015 but distanced himself from in 2024, has been at the forefront of litigation against the FCC and the public comment campaign in favor of state-level regulation of EMF.VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS OPPOSE DATA CENTERS WHILE 69% ACKNOWLEDGE USING AI: POLLDuring his speech at a Washington, D.C., CHD event on Thursday, Kennedy received cheers from the audience when he referenced the new EMF research project. The former public health litigator turned HHS secretary referenced his past lawsuit against the FCC, noting that an appeals court ordered the agency to “redo its regulations.”“There are still gaps in knowledge, and we’re filling those,” Kennedy said at the event. “HHS is reviewing the regulatory landscape, and we will release a report this fall.”