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

28 September 2019

Working Meeting in Paris with Professor Belpomme, Dr. Pri Bandara and Dr. Marc Arazi

Working meeting in Paris with Professor Belpomme and Dr Pri Bandara
Equipe Phonegate, 28 Sep 2019

Dr Pri Bandara, member of the Phonegate Alert Scientific board, came especially from Poland where she participated in a scientific conference organized by the City Hall of Krakow, to come to Paris to discuss with Professor Dominique Belpomme (ARTAC) and our President, Dr Marc Arazi. She then resumed a flight to Sydney in the evening to return to Australia where she resides.

We would like to thank both of them for this time of high quality scientific exchange around electrohypersensitivity (EHS) studies, which we hope will open up new opportunities for international collaboration, especially with the Oceania Region (ORSAA).

https://www.phonegatealert.org/en/working-meeting-in-paris-with-professor-belpomme-and-dr-pri-bandara

25 September 2019

United States: KCCI Investigates: Lawsuit Filed Over Cellphone Radiation

KCCI Investigates: Lawsuit filed over cellphone radiation (24 Sept. 2019, 2 min.)





West Des Moines, Iowa, attorney Bart Goplerud files lawsuit over cell phone radiation (one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs in the class action complaints filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California - San Jose and San Francisco Divisions)

24 September 2019

Switzerland: Thousands take to the streets protesting against 5G amid fears the electromagnetic technology could damage people's health

Thousands take to the streets of Switzerland protesting against 5G mobile phones signals amid fears the electromagnetic technology could damage people's health
By JACK NEWMAN FOR MAILONLINE, 22 September 2019

Thousands of people protested in the Swiss capital Bern Saturday over
the roll-out of a 5G wireless technology
  • The protesters gathered in front of the Swiss parliament in Bern yesterday
  • Critics say 5G's electromagnetic radiation poses health and environmental risks
  • Several studies on the health impacts of the new technology are underway

Thousands of people have protested in the Swiss capital Bern over the roll-out of a 5G wireless technology across the country, which they fear could damage people's health.

The protesters, many carrying placards, gathered in front of the Swiss parliament building yesterday in a bid to stop the construction of more 5G-compatible antennae.

Phonegate Alert Enters the ANSES Radio Frequencies and Health Dialogue Committee

Phonegate Alert enters the ANSES Radio Frequencies and Health Dialogue Committee
Equipe Phonegate 24 Sep 2019

The Director General of the French National Health Security Agency (ANSES), Mr Roger Genet, officially informed us on September, 12 of the integration of our association into the “Radio frequencies & health” dialogue committee.

In agreement with our Scientific board, it is our President, Dr Marc Arazi, who will represent our organization in a constructive and vigilant way.

We will participate alongside several representatives of French organizations listed below:

Institutions / Collectivités Territoriales / Elus

22 September 2019

New Study Finds Infant And Toddler Brains Absorb More Microwave Radiation From Wireless Phones

Hello!  Is anyone listening?  This study dates from 2017.

“If we consider this study in light of the test results just released from the French government that found the majority of cell phones exceed regulatory limits for cell phone radiation when tested against the body, then we can expect that the radiation levels in children’s brains far exceed regulatory limits when parents hold the phone directly up to the toddler’s head. Urgent action is needed,” stated Dr. Devra Davis, President and founder of the Environmental Health Trust.

New Study Finds Infant And Toddler Brains Absorb More Microwave Radiation From Wireless Phones
EHtrust.org, 30 November 2017

IT Experts Reveal That Infant And Toddler Brains Absorb More Microwave Radiation From Wireless Phones
First Study To Evaluate Cell Phone Radiation Exposures With Realistic Head Models

In a newly published paper in IEEE Access, cell phone modeling experts reveal that toddlers receive far greater microwave radiation from cell phones than previous research models assumed. The maximum SAR values, a measure of cellphone radiation, in young children’s head tissues were up to 78% higher than SAR values measured in the adult model. The IT researchers call for lower cell phone radiation regulatory limits to account for young children’s exposures, echoing recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics to the US government to update cell phone regulations to protect children.

Researchers from the University of Queensland Australia School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering compared cell phone microwave radiation exposures of adults to infants and toddlers who are three months to three years old. The experts evaluated various scenarios where parents might hold a phone up to a child’s head and computed the cell phone radiation exposures into the child’s skin and brain tissues. Confirming earlier studies by experts at the University of Porto Alegre and Environmental Health Trust (EHT), they found that cell phone radiation reaches further into younger children’s brains than previously estimated.

17 September 2019

Phonegate: On-going International Collective Actions

Please note that in the United States there are two class actions in progress against Apple and Samsung:  
The first class action was filed in the San Jose division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Apple and Samsung on August 23, 2019, comprising 11 plaintiffs (Case No. 5:19-cv-05322). The second was filed by Andrus Anderson LLP in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco, representing 16 plaintiffs (Case No. 3:19-cv-05707).

Phonegate: On-going international Collective Actions
phonegatealert.org, 17 September 2019

Within the framework of Phonegate, following is the list of legal actions in progress against mobile phone companies:

France

Xiaomi – Redmi Note 5 and Mi Mix 2S mobile phones


On April 15, 2019, the first criminal complaint within the framework of Phonegate was filed with the Paris Public Prosecutor against the Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Xiaomi by Attorney Elias Bourran of the Paris Bar and a class action lawsuit launched against the company on the platform “V pour Verdict”.

This action concerns the Redmi Note 5 and Mi Mix 2S mobile phones. Control tests by the French National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) revealed that the SAR (specific absorption rate) exceeded the European regulatory limit of 2.0 W/kg for the head in the case of the Redmi Note 5 and for the trunk in the case of the Mi Mix 2S.

16 September 2019

Swiss Population Brings About a De Facto 5G Moratorium

High speed without guard rails
Media release: "Swiss population brings about a de facto 5G moratorium"
schutz-vor-strahlung.ch, 12 September 2019 - auto-translation

Zurich, 12 September 2019 The discussion on the new 5G mobile communications technology has reached a new dimension. This is no coincidence: the three mobile operators Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt, have submitted more than three hundred building applications for 5G antennas in the past three months. Meanwhile, resistance to 5G is growing strongly in all regions of the country, and so are the objections to 5G building applications. The association "Schutz vor Strahlung" has now created a building law department to support the population in their objections.

The iPhone 7 May Be More Dangerous than Announced by Apple

The iPhone 7 may be more dangerous than announced by Apple
by Antoine Sillières, Le Lanceur, 6 September 2019 - translation

According to independent analyses by an American reporter of the Chicago Tribune, the iPhone 7 emits more waves than Apple says. Several other competing devices, such as Samsung and Motorola, exceed radiation standards when tested in real-life conditions.

Illustrative photo of danger of waves - cell phone
©  Tim Douet
While not a tabloid, the Chicago Tribune has nailed several international stars this summer, true global stars named iPhone 7, Samsung S8 and Motorola E5... which shine too brightly. Reporter Sam Roe, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for an investigation into the dangers of certain toys, investigated for a year the human body's exposure to the waves emitted by our dear smartphones. He had several flagship models tested in a certified and independent laboratory. The results of the measurements, published in an article dated 21 August (read here), differ from those obtained by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), the authority in charge of control in the United States. These results are also different from those presented by the National Frequencies Agency (ANFR), its French counterpart, as pointed out by Marc Arazi, whistleblower, who has been investigating the subject since 2016.

13 September 2019

Switzerland: 5G Opponents Block 320 of 326 Antennas

5G opponents block 320 of 326 antennas
by P. Michel, 20min.ch, 13 September 2019 - auto-translation

5G opponents have raised objections against almost all building applications for antennas. The suppliers deny this number.

The expansion of 5G antennas by Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt is coming to a standstill: radiation opponents have filed objections to 320 of 326 building applications for the new antennas. These figures have been compiled by the "Schutz vor Strahlung" association. "We are absolutely overwhelmed", says Rebekka Meier to 20 minutes.

In this way, the population shows that "it can also implement a 5G moratorium itself, and it will maintain it in the near future". A total of 20,000 people, united in local groups, had signed the objections. For Meier, the flood of objections is tantamount to a "de facto 5G moratorium".

"Citizens recognize the dangers"

Phonegate: [Updated Press release] Will the original reports of the mobile phone tests remain secret?

Message from Phonegate Alert: 13 September 2019:
"We have updated this article with the report by the attorney Laurent Goldman of the Public Rapporteur's positions at the hearing held yesterday morning before the Council of State. If these conclusions are accepted, we will not be able to access the original and complete documents of the mobile phone test reports audited by the National Frequencies Agency (ANFR)!"

[Updated Press release] Will the original reports of the mobile phone tests remain secret?
Equipe Phonegate, phonegatealert.org, 6 Sep 2019

Article updated on 12 September 2019 following the public hearing before the Council of State.

Attached is the report of attorney Laurent Goldman who represents Dr. Arazi.

At this morning’s hearing, the public rapporteur, as announced, concluded that the appeal was inadmissible.

At this morning’s hearing, the public rapporteur, as announced, concluded that the appeal was inadmissible.
First, it noted that article L. 124-1 of the Environmental Code referred to access to “information” relating to the environment, and not to “documents”. It therefore concludes that the communication of the original reports is not required by this text.
On the completeness of the data posted by ANFR, the public rapporteur hid behind the court’s assessment that the content of the reports had not been modified. It considered that this assessment was sovereign, i.e. it was beyond the control of the Court of Cassation.
Finally, the public rapporteur considered that it was also sovereign that the court decided whether or not to order the production of the original reports for comparison with the data published online.

We are preparing a post-hearing submission to argue the public rapporteur’s positions. The decision of the Council of State should be rendered within 3 weeks and we will then know whether or not our appeal will be considered.

10 September 2019

The Cell Phone Radiation Scandal: Top Brands are Lying About Safety

The Cell Phone Radiation Scandal: Top Brands are Lying About Safety
By Ty & Charlene Bollinger, thetruthaboutcancer.com, 23 August 2019

As the controversy over 5G networks and cell phone radiation continues, it turns out that manufacturers aren’t playing fair. In a groundbreaking expose by the Chicago Tribune, popular phones by Apple, Samsung, and Motorola were found to produce radiation that exceeds federal limits. The new data has forced the FCC to investigate – and could be a major blow to the industry.

The question has been asked about as long as mobile phones have existed: “Are they safe?”

Manufacturers and service providers have assured us time and time again that radiofrequency radiation is nothing to worry about, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) did eventually set limits.

For a cell phone to be approved for sale, it must undergo FCC-approved testing to determine the amount of radiofrequency radiation that will be absorbed by organic matter. This gives us an idea of just how much radiation users will experience, day in and day out. The current limit for cell phone radiation is 1.6 watts per kilogram.

1.6 W/kg. Keep that number in mind as we continue…

Journalists at the Tribune wanted to know if this threshold was truly being observed by manufacturers, so they funded their own testing to find out. They began with Apple’s iPhone 7. The test was conducted at a lab accredited by the FCC to perform the tests according to federal guidelines.

To conduct the tests, phones were placed under a tub containing liquid that simulates human tissue. The phone was then powered on and a call was placed so that it was operating at full power. For the next 18 minutes, a robotic sensor took over 275 measurements.

The phone was tested twice, once at 5 millimeters away from the liquid and once at 2mm away. The second test, they explained, was to simulate a phone being stored in clothing, like pockets. They measured this by cutting out pieces of dress shirts, T-shirts, jeans, track pants, and undergarments and using them to find the appropriate distance.

The iPhone 7 was tested in August of 2018, followed by 11 more phones in October: 2 more iPhone 7s, an iPhone 8, an iPhone X, an iPhone 8 Plus, a Galaxy S9, a Galaxy S8, a Galaxy J3, a Moto e5 Play, a Moto g6 Play and a Vivo 5 Mini.

The Tribune reports that the results of the first iPhone 7 test were so high that they wanted to test two more to be sure.

The results were staggering.












With a federal limit of 1.6 W/kg, nearly half of the phones failed the test at 5mm. At 2mm, representing a phone kept in your clothing, all but one failed. If the tests are accurate, this would be a catastrophic failure of FCC oversight, and severe ineptitude or diabolical deceit by the manufacturers (except Vivo, who was well within guidelines).

09 September 2019

Apple’s iPhone: Widespread Deception Over the Real SAR Levels

Apple’s iPhone: widespread deception over the real SAR levels
Equipe Phonegate, phonegatealert.org, 9 Sep 2019

We asked Dr. Arazi, President of Phonegate Alert, to review in detail the revelations made on August 21, 2019 by journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Sam Roe in the Chicago Tribune and to place them in the overall context of the international Phonegate scandal. We start with the results of Apple’s iPhones, then in a next article we will discuss the results of the Korean manufacturer Samsung.

When and how did the contact with the journalist Sam Roe come about?

It is now more than a year and a half ago. I received an email in January 2018 from Sam Roe of the Chicago Tribune asking me for an interview. He had heard of the results of the specific absorption rate (SAR) tests carried out on hundreds of mobile phones by the National Frequencies Agency (ANFR), of which we had obtained a first publication in June 2017.

08 September 2019

We tested popular cellphones for radiofrequency radiation. Now the FCC is investigating.

Full text of the article that made the front page of the Chicago Tribune on 21 August 2019.

We tested popular cellphones for radiofrequency radiation. Now the FCC is investigating.
By SAM ROE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 21 August 2019 |

The Apple iPhone 7 was set to operate at full power and secured below a tub of clear liquid, specially formulated to simulate human tissue.

With the push of a button, a robotic arm swung into action, sending a pencil-thin probe dipping into the tub. For 18 minutes, it repeatedly measured the amount of radiofrequency radiation the liquid was absorbing from the cellphone.

This test, which was paid for by the Tribune and conducted according to federal guidelines at an accredited lab, produced a surprising result: Radiofrequency radiation exposure from the iPhone 7 — one of the most popular smartphones ever sold — measured over the legal safety limit and more than double what Apple reported to federal regulators from its own testing.

The Federal Communications Commission, which is responsible for regulating phones, states on its website that if a cellphone has been approved for sale, the device “will never exceed” the maximum allowable exposure limit. But this phone, in an independent lab inspection, had done exactly that.

07 September 2019

The FCC Needs to Update Its Cellphone Tests for Radiofrequency Radiation: Commentary by Dr. Devra Davis

Thank you to Jean Hudon in Québec for the full text of this commentary which ties the Chicago Tribune cell phone testing to the testing of cell phones in France (Phonegate).  The article has links to excellent references.

Commentary: The FCC needs to update its cellphone tests for radiofrequency radiation
by Devra Davis, Chicago Tribune, 26 August 2019

The Chicago Tribune recently published test results indicating that some cellphones can emit radiation causing exposure up to five times higher than current limits allow. This shocking data comes on the heels of the government of France’s revelations that phones emit radiation between four and 11 times their allowable limits.

Add caption
Photo: Lead technical engineer Jay Moulton places a cellphone in the testing position at the RF Exposure Lab in San Marcos, California, on Oct. 25, 2018. Test results indicate that some cellphones can emit radiation causing exposure up to five times higher than current limits allow. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

For more than a decade, the Federal Communications Commission has knowingly relied on unrealistic test methods to evaluate radiofrequency radiation from a single phone selected for testing by major manufacturers. Repeated submissions and presentations to the FCC have documented numerous deficiencies in the current protocol, as noted in 2012 by the Government Accountability Office in a report mandated by Congress.

06 September 2019

Schools Pushed for Tech in Every Classroom. Now Parents are Pushing Back.

Schools Pushed for Tech in Every Classroom. Now Parents Are Pushing Back.

Schools spent millions of dollars on devices and programs; some question how much it’s helping

Schools pushed for tech in every classroom. Now parents are pushing back.
by Betsy Morris and  Tawnell D. Hobbs, wsj.com, Sept. 3, 2019 **

Teachers at an elementary school in Montgomery County,
Md.  
Photo: Greg Kahn for the Wall Street Journal
When Baltimore County, Md., public schools began going digital five years ago, textbooks disappeared from classrooms and paper and pencils were no longer encouraged. All students from kindergarten to 12th grade would eventually get a laptop, helping the district reach the “one-to-one” ratio of one for each child that has become coveted around the country. Teaching apps and digital courses took the place of flashcards and notebooks.

Despite the investment, academic results have mostly slipped in the district of about 115,000 students.

Over the last decade, American schools embraced technology, spending millions of dollars on devices and apps, believing its disruptive power would help many children learn faster, stay in school and be more prepared for a competitive economy. Now many parents and teachers are starting to wonder if all the disruption was a good idea.

Cell Phone Testing in the U.S. and Europe: Electromagnetic Radiation: Frying More than Promised...

Electromagnetic radiation:
Frying more than promised...
by Nicolas Bérard, Journal l'Age de faire, no.144, 5 September 2019

In both the United States and Europe, a large number of mobile phones are being launched as they emit radiation that exceeds regulatory values.

The Chicago Tribune conducted the investigation. Alerted to the "Phonegate" case, this major American daily newspaper had an independent laboratory carry out SAR (specific absorption rate, depending on the waves emitted) measurements on eleven of the most popular phones on the market. Although the measurement system is not exactly the same on the other side of the Atlantic, one of the main problems is the same as in our country: regulatory measurements are made 10 or even 15 mm from the skin when, in reality, users tend to stick their mobile phones to their ears and keep them in their pockets, less than 2 mm from the body.

05 September 2019

FCC to Investigate Cellphone Radiation Exposure:

28-min. conversation with Sam Roe, former investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune who wrote the article on cellphone testing in the U.S. (click here for link to article and radio broadcast).

FCC to Investigate Cellphone Radiation Exposure
by Michael Krasnykqed.org, 28 August 2019

The Chicago Tribune tested 11 brand-new cellphone models
from four companies.
(Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
A Chicago Tribune investigation tested the amount of radiation exposure from cell phones and found many phones exceeded the legal safety allowed limit. The Tribune funded lab tests on various cell phone models and found the popular iPhone 7 measured more than double the radiation Apple officially reported to federal regulators. In response, the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates cell phones, says it will now conduct its own testing. Forum discusses the investigation and whether we should worry about radiation exposure.

Read the Chicago Tribune's radiation exposure test here.

Guests:
Samuel Roe, regional investigative director, Gannett

https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101873014/fcc-to-investigate-cellphone-radiation-exposure

04 September 2019

Switzerland: The Anti-5G Poll Candidates in Bern

The Anti-5G poll candidates in Bern

Society - Activists sent a series of questions to all candidates for the Swiss Parliament to find out their position.

by Céline Garcin, ABO, Tribune de Genève, 2 September 2019 - translation

Operators continue to deploy 5G antennas, but opponents
of this new technology are not giving up. 
Image: Martial Trezzini
The Anti-5G are not giving up. While operators continue to install antennas for the deployment of this new technology in Switzerland, concerned citizens and politicians continue to fight to enforce the precautionary principle as long as all health and environmental risks are not ruled out. In August, the Swiss and Geneva groups in favor of a moratorium called on all candidates in the federal elections to find out their position on this issue. Their answers will be published on the Internet at the beginning of October.

Few studies available

"The few studies available point to unprecedented effects on insects and biodiversity," said Michèle Rivasi, a French Green MEP who was in Geneva yesterday. "Operators themselves acknowledge in their presentation that MiMo multibeam antenna technology results in radiation levels at 50 m much higher than those from conventional 3G or 4G antennas. [...] This is why it is urgent to have all the necessary biological and health impact studies available before any deployment of 5G."

Too Many Waves! Huawei, Nokia, Wiko... 17 Models of Different Brands Pinned for Excessive Radiation

We would like to see more articles in the press on this important issue, linking the cell phone tests conducted in the U.S. at the request of the Chicago Tribune with those carried out in France, the results of which were revealed thanks to the actions of Dr. Marc Arazi and the Phonegate Alert Association.  

Too many waves! The list of smartphones caught at fault
by Benjamin Douriez, 60millions-mag.com, 21 August 2019, updated 22 August 2019 - auto-translation*

Huawei, Nokia, Wiko... About fifteen models of different brands have been pinned for excessive radiation, and require updating.


iStock/Goja1
Does your smartphone emit too many waves? This is a question that many consumers should ask themselves. While regulations set a maximum level of electromagnetic radiation for mobile phones, some models have exceeded or even still exceed it.

The National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) is in charge of controls on this subject. According to our count, within a year and a half, it pinned seventeen models for non-compliance with the authorized specific absorption rate (SAR).

A too confidential list

01 September 2019

Apple, Samsung Class Action Says Phones Emit Radiation

First class action filed against Apple and Samsung in the United States on 23 August 2019.  (Case No. 5:19-cv-05322, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California)

"The putative Apple Class Members include: “All persons who purchased an iPhone 7, 8, or X for personal or household use in the United States.”

"The possible Samsung Class Members include: “All persons who purchased a Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, or J3 for personal or household use in the United States.” "

Apple, Samsung Class Action Says Phones Emit Radiation
By Steven Cohen, topclassactions.com, 27 August 2019

A class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple and Samsung from consumers who claim that iPhones and Galaxy smartphones emit more radiation than is allowable by law.

Eleven plaintiffs allege that the cellphones exceed the maximum limit allowed for radiofrequency (RF) radiation exposure.

“In fact, Defendants market and sell some of the most popular smartphones in the world – including Apple’s iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy phones – as emitting less RF radiation than that set by law and as being completely safe to carry and use on or in close proximity to the human body,” the Apple class action lawsuit alleges.

Lawsuit Filed against Apple, Samsung after Chicago Tribune Tests Cellphones for Radiofrequency Radiation

This article includes a 3-min. video on the subject, presented by Sam Roe, the Chicago Tribune journalist who wrote the initial article on the cell phone testing. (The article has limited access so one may not be able to view the video.)

Lawsuit filed against Apple, Samsung after Chicago Tribune tests cellphones for radiofrequency radiation
by JOE MAHR, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 29 August 2019

Video caption: A new class-action lawsuit against Apple and Samsung alleges the cellphone makers “intentionally misrepresented" the safety of the devices, citing a Chicago Tribune investigation that tested popular smartphones for radiofrequency radiation and found some results over the federal exposure limit.

A group of lawyers has filed a federal class-action lawsuit against Apple and Samsung, citing a Tribune investigation that tested popular cellphones for radiofrequency radiation and found some results over the federal exposure limit. The lawsuit — filed Friday in California, Illinois and Iowa — alleges that the phone makers “intentionally misrepresented" the safety of their devices, assuring users that the phones had been adequately tested and “were safe to use on and in close proximity to their bodies.”