The Government Wants to Look Into Wi-Fi and Cell Phones for Health Risks, but WHO Says It Hasn’t Found Any Harm

Your phone, your Wi-Fi router, and 5G networks are being looked at by the federal government. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on social media on Sept. 21 that the Trump administration has opened a formal request for information on radio frequency and electromagnetic field exposure. Meanwhile, a World Health Organization review found no causal link between wireless technologies and adverse health effects, People reported.

What the Request Wants to Know

What exactly is the government asking? According to People, the request asks researchers and the public for input on whether exposure in everyday life is being measured adequately. It also asks what existing research shows about radio frequency and electromagnetic field exposure, and where that research falls short. Kennedy also said officials want to examine questions about how exposure builds up over time.

An Open Call for Personal Accounts

Kennedy encouraged the public to weigh in, including people who believe they or a family member experienced an adverse health effect possibly linked to these exposures. He asked clinicians and researchers to share observed patterns, People reported. Kenneth Foster, a professor emeritus of bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, told Scientific American that personal accounts like these are very unlikely to reveal much about whether connected devices carry hidden harms.

From Smart Meters to 6G

Kennedy’s examples cover more than the phone in your pocket. He said wireless technology touches nearly every part of American life, from cell phones and Wi-Fi to smart meters, wearables, wireless medical devices, and 5G, and he mentioned 6G as well. He added that officials want to consider whether children, pregnant women, workers, people with implanted medical devices, and other potentially vulnerable groups should be studied differently, People noted.

The MAHA Movement Behind the Review

The review is part of Kennedy’s broader Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. He said the MAHA strategy gave officials a mission to look into the link between electromagnetic radiation and health, spot gaps in what is known, and keep federal policy current with fast-changing technology. Reuters reported in January that the Food and Drug Administration took down multiple webpages saying cellphones were not dangerous, as part of the movement.

What 12 WHO-Commissioned Reviews Found

An effort commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO) produced 12 systematic reviews covering frequencies from zero to 300 gigahertz, which include typical cell phone exposure, Scientific American reported. At exposures below existing safety thresholds, the reviews found little to no effect on the risk of cancers such as lymphoma and glioma. They also found very little evidence, if any, of symptoms caused by radio frequency exposure.

Low-Energy Radiation and the Cancer Question

It helps to know how this kind of radiation works. Scientific American reported that radiation at those frequencies carries low energy, too little to break DNA bonds. X-rays and other high-energy radiation known to cause cancer do their damage that way. The National Cancer Institute says the evidence so far suggests that using a cellphone does not lead to brain or other cancers in people, according to People.

Large Studies on Brain Cancer and Headaches

Large studies have weighed in as well. A 2024 prospective study of cell phone use and brain cancer in more than 250,000 people found no increased risk of disease, Scientific American reported. The international COSMOS study, coordinated by Imperial College London, found no evidence of higher brain tumor risk associated with mobile phone use, even beyond 15 years. It also found no link between call time and headaches.

Australia’s Brain Cancer Rates

Australia offers national numbers too. A spokesperson for the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency said numerous epidemiological studies, including large-cohort and case-control studies, have found no evidence that mobile phone use raises brain or other cancer risk. Ken Karipidis, an associate professor at the agency who was part of the WHO-commissioned review, found no rise in brain cancer incidence in Australia over 20 years of rapid wireless growth.

Where the Evidence Stands

Foster said more high-quality studies are needed, but research on these exposures has been shrinking, especially in the U.S. He noted that roughly 100 studies are published each year and perhaps half report biological effects, though he described them as generally not very persuasive. Still, he said the absence of red flags so far suggests any effects are either nonexistent or tiny, especially next to other environmental health stressors.