Despite countless published studies and decades of ubiquitous cellphone use, no data currently link cellphone radiation with cancer or other illnesses. In fact, the National Cancer Institute states, “The evidence to date suggests that cellphone use does not cause brain or other kinds of cancer in humans.”

 

Nonetheless, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is launching a study on the potential harm of cellphone radiation. At the same time, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an agency within the HHS, has taken down web pages stating that cellphone radiation is not dangerous, reports the Wall Street Journal.

 

The National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, both of which are within the HHS, continue to host web pages stating that cellphone radiation does not pose a health threat.

 

HHS is led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who, according to NBC, claims there is a link between cellphone use and neurological damage and cancer. He has also claimed that vaccines are dangerous. Since he was sworn in last February, RFK Jr. has upended decades of evidence-based recommendations for immunizations. (For a collection of related articles, click #Vaccine; you’ll find stories such as “Kennedy Sharpens Vaccine Attacks, Without Scientific Backing.”)

 

How will this affect the public’s perception of cellphone use safety?

 

“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration removed web pages with old conclusions about cellphone radiation while HHS undertakes a study on electromagnetic radiation and health research to identify gaps in knowledge, including new technologies, to ensure safety and efficacy,” said Andrew Nixon, HHS spokesman, according to NBC News.

 

Electromagnetic radiation from cellphones is just one of several environmental exposures cited for review in the Make America Healthy Again Report.

 

For decades, the link between cellphone use and cancer has been a topic of conversation. Still, health officials note that the scientific evidence has not changed and that cancer rates have not risen as people’s cellphone use has increased.

 

As the National Cancer Institute points out, confusion and concern probably linger in the public’s imagination because cellphones do in fact emit radiation (in the form of radiofrequency radiation, or radio waves). But this type of radiation is low energy and low frequency—too low to damage DNA and result in cancer. This contrasts with the high-frequency, high-energy ionizing radiation found in X-rays and radon, which can cause cancer.

 

Preliminary research by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the World Health Organization from 2024 also found that people who spend more time talking on their cellphones are not at a higher risk of developing brain tumors.

 

The National Cancer Institute, which is largely funded by HHS, provides more information on cellphones and cancer risk.