RFK, Jr., shifts focus to questioning whether cell phones are safe. Here\u2019s what the science says<\/p>\n
The possible health effects of radiofrequency waves emitted by cell phones has been a subject of debate for decades<\/p>\n
By Jackie Flynn Mogensen<\/a> edited by Claire Cameron<\/a><\/p>\n The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is worried about cell phones. Under the department, the Food and Drug Administration has removed webpages that asserted the devices are safe, according to the Wall Street Journal. And HHS, headed by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., reportedly<\/a> plans to research the possible health effects of radiation emitted by cell phones.<\/p>\n The FDA removed online information that said scientists have not connected exposure to radiofrequency (RF) waves, emitted by cell phones, to health problems in users.<\/p>\n Some of the removed webpages contained \u201cold conclusions,\u201d an HHS spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal. The spokesperson also said that researching cell phone radiation would \u201cidentify gaps in knowledge.\u201d The agency provided a similar statement to Scientific American, adding that the research was \u201cdirected by President Trump\u2019s MAHA Commission<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n On supporting science journalism<\/p>\n If you’re enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing<\/a>. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.<\/p>\n The administration has not provided any new evidence for the moves. So what does the science about cell phones say?<\/p>\n It\u2019s a \u201ccomplex subject,\u201d says Kenneth Foster, a professor emeritus at the department of bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, who has studied<\/a> the health risks of cell phones.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople have been arguing about health effects of RF radiation from cell phones for decades,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n For years, the official stance of federal health agencies such as the FDA was that there was no evidence of a causal link between cell phone use and cancer. That conclusion was also shared by the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates cell phones. Still, some scientists<\/a> have raised alarms about cell phones and potential health risks, including cancer, although more quality research is needed to full understand what, if any, effect cell phones have on the body.<\/p>\n In 2011 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, has noted that radiofrequency waves are \u201cpossibly carcinogenic to humans<\/a>,\u201d but it hasn\u2019t identified a causal link. (The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.) And a handful of studies in lab rats<\/a> suggest that exposure to RF radiation may be linked with cancer. But it\u2019s unclear whether those results would apply to humans, and studies in humans have been inconsistent and limited in scope and efficacy.<\/p>\n What is clear, however, is that cell phones do seem to have one obvious negative health effect\u2014on our mental health, Foster says.<\/p>\n \u201c[There] seems to be stronger evidence for cognitive effects from using cell phones and excessive use of screens, a different matter,\u201d he says. \u201cAlso don\u2019t text while driving!\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s Time to Stand Up for Science<\/p>\n If you enjoyed this article, I\u2019d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.<\/p>\n If you subscribe to Scientific American<\/a>, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.<\/p>\n In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts<\/a>, brilliant infographics, can’t-miss newsletters<\/a>, must-watch videos, challenging games<\/a>, and the science world’s best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription<\/a>.<\/p>\n There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you\u2019ll support us in that mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"January 16, 2026 2 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAm RFK, Jr., shifts focus to questioning whether…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":375602,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[102,2960,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-375601","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-health","tag-healthcare","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375601","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375601"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375601\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/375602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375601"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375601"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375601"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Side](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/cell-phones.jpg\")
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