Raise awareness of environmental health issues in order to better protect our children and future generations.

16 October 2017

Phonegate : Welcome to La La Land !

[Press release] Phonegate : Welcome to la la land !
ba Marc Arazi, http://arazi.fr/, 16 October 2017

As a result of lax and imprecise international standards, hundreds of millions of users of mobile phones that have been placed on the market over the past twenty years are subjected to radiation levels in contact with the body, for some phones, more than three times the threshold limit (ten times with American standards). We now have proof of this, since Dr Arazi obtained the publication on 1 June 2017 of the initial partial results conducted by the French National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) , that our health, especially of younger people, is being deliberately endangered. Despite this, ANFR continues to hide essential informations. There is total inertia on the part of the public authorities despite having been alerted in various ways. It is urgent to inform the more than six billion users, including the French population, of the risks involved and the ways to protect against these risks.

One point in common with the various scandals that have been increasing in recent years, from Médiator to the “Monsanto papers” and Dieselgate, are the many obstacles to acquiring information.

ANFR postpones indefinitely the publication of test reports

The scandal of « Phonegate* » is no exception. The fight for transparent information from the manufacturers of mobile phones and national and international control agencies is far from being won. Let us take as evidence the latest blow from ANFR which, in an unexpected turnaround, decided to no longer publish the complete reports of the measurements of the specific absorption rates (SAR) of the 428 mobile phones tested between 2012 and June 2017. ANFR had nevertheless made a written commitment to Dr. Arazi on 13 July 2017 to make these reports public “in September”. Gilles Brégant, Director-General of ANFR, however, never lacks “good reasons” for not doing so. In the telephone exchange on 10 October 2017 with the whistleblower, the head of the control authority considers this is no longer “a priority” for its staff. The publication of this essential information, expected for more than 15 months, has been indefinitely postponed.

Everything always goes well in la-la land

The question we publicly ask ANFR is simple: « What are you trying to hide? » This question is more legitimate when we discover the new list of 49 mobile phones “tested” by ANFR up to June 2017. To say that ANFR is confounding information with communication is a euphemism. Its strategy is all the more simple as the subject is complex. The Agency wants to give the appearance of transparency. It has not done so! Welcome to la la land! Here are examples:
  • The SAR measurements of the phones as actually used, in contact with the skin, have simply disappeared. This is the easiest way for ANFR to obtain deceptively reassuring results, especially since European legislation requires a measurement in contact for the SAR “limbs” (a phone in the pants pocket or held in the hand)
  • A SAR « head » measurement for only one phone out of the 49 phones tested.
  • A compliance distance greater than 5 mm and up to 25 mm. This concerns nine mobile phones (Wiko, Sony, Hisense, Orange, Alcatel, Crosscall, Doro and Switel). And yet, ANFR publicly explained that the new European warning regarding the “SAR ‘trunk’ in contact with the skin at a few millimeters” would apply for measurements taken at distances not exceeding 5 mm…Proof by example!

A scandalous European Directive written to defend the interests of the manufacturers

The new directive 2014/53/UE, entered into force in June 2017 at the initiative of the European Commission, is meant to set an example of transparency. On the contrary, it is further proof of the serious abuses of an institution that is too much influenced by the actions of the lobbies invading Brussels. Article 5 of the directive provides the manufacturers of mobile phones with complete confidentiality of the data concerning the health risks of their phones, while article 42 is entitled, “Compliant radio equipment which presents a risk”.

A total absence of reaction from the public authorities, despite warnings

The French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) made scientific recommendations to the government in its July 2016 report entitled, “Exposure to Radiofrequencies and Child Health”. The recommendations have not been followed up!

Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to review its 1996 SAR measurement protocols which are inappropriate and out of date. The AAP expressed its concern prior to the announcement in September 2017 by the scientific team of the National Toxicology Program (NTP), one of the official agencies of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), of the disturbing results on the “genotoxicity” of mobile phone waves tested on mice and rats. The complete results are expected at the beginning of 2018.

When will the Minister for Health, Agnès Buzyn, and the Minister for the Ecological Transition, Nicolas Hulot, finally take up this public health issue? They have not yet responded to the letter sent by Dr. Arazi four months ago, reminding them of the responsibility of the State. To hear them, human health is nevertheless their « priority ».

Time and need to act

The action for transparency is for us a major public health issue. We have thus decided to take all necessary actions, including legal actions, to obtain from ANFR as soon as possible the complete reports of the measurement tests of mobile phones. We call on all those in France and abroad who share our fight for “truth” to be heard.


* The origin of the term comes from Pierre Le Hir (Le Monde, 23 December 2016) « Soupçons sur les ondes des téléphones portables »

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