Since its creation in 2018, Phonegate Alert has been working tirelessly with its partners, including the Environmental Health Trust (EHT), to change international exposure standards for cell phone radiofrequencies. In 1996, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) set a specific absorption rate (SAR) test distance of 15 mm from the body. In April 2025, on the quiet, the US agency* took the historic step of reducing this to ≤ 5 mm for all portable devices, including phones, tablets and connected computers. This new advance represents a major step forward in our fight to better protect the public health of billions of users worldwide.
A long-standing engagement of our NGO, on both sides of the Atlantic
- 2018: Official alarm signal in the USA
In March 2018, Phonegate Alert and EHT sent an official letter to the FCC denouncing the discrepancy between SAR tests (carried out 15 mm from the body) and actual usage (phones worn against the skin). This letter has remained unanswered to date. - 2019 : The Chicago Tribune investigation
The investigation by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sam Roe (Chicago Tribune, August 2019) in association with Dr. Marc Arazi showed that the best-selling phones in the USA (Apple, Samsung, Motorola) far exceeded SAR limits when tested at 2 mm from the body as in a pocket, confirming our alerts and leading several plaintiffs to launch class action suits in the USA and Canada. Read the survey - 2020: in Europe, mobilization and formal objection from France
Following our actions and the ANSES report (2019) recommending direct contact testing, France, supported by Alerte Phonegate, lodged a formal objection with the European Commission in 2020 to demand stricter regulation. To date, this request has not been implemented. Details of the objection
Body-contact SAR tests better protect users’ health
Performing SAR tests in direct contact with the body (0 mm) offers far superior protection for users, as it accurately reflects the real conditions under which cell phones and other connected objects are used. Indeed, the majority of users wear or handle their phone or tablet directly against the skin (in a pocket, on the stomach, etc.), which can lead to maximum absorption of electromagnetic energy by the tissues. Testing at an artificial distance, even of a few millimeters, greatly underestimates actual exposure, and can lead to the belief that the user is safe in a way that is not guaranteed in everyday life.
Chicago Tribune test results on SAR levels 2 mm from the body
By imposing tests on contact or at a minimum distance, the new FCC regulations finally ensure that devices comply with exposure limits even in the most common and risky usage situations, thus effectively protecting the health of the population.
An American phone is now much safer than a European one
With the new FCC regulations, a cell phone sold in the USA now offers better health protection than a model sold in Europe. As a result, the actual exposure of a European user can be up to three times higher than that of an American. Here’s why:
- Stricter SAR limit: 1.6 W/kg (head and trunk) in the USA versus 2 W/kg in Europe.
- Measurement method: 1 gram of fabric in the USA (more demanding), 10 grams in Europe (multiplies by 3 the exposure level of a European).
- Test distance: ≤ 5 mm in the USA, 5 mm in Europe.
- Exposure time: The European protocol (6 minutes for 10g) and (30 minutes for 10g) in the USA for measuring the SAR of members (exposure time divided by 5 in Europe).
The ball is now in the court of the European Commission, which must act without delay to bring regulations into line with best regulatory practice, and thus protect the health of all European citizens.
A major change at the FCC… in silence
- Despite the importance of this reform, the FCC has issued no public announcement, and the decision has not been openly debated or politically promoted. The new rules appeared via technical bulletins, test lab documents or specialized posts, with no detailed explanation for consumers or the general media.
- None of the major phone manufacturers has reacted publicly or provided information on the impact. Manuals are evolving discreetly, without any awareness-raising campaign.
- Is the decision to strengthen SAR testing linked to a change in political strategy, or to the will of the FCC’s new management team? No official explanation has been given
Next steps and citizen vigilance for Alerte Phonegate
While this reform is an important step forward, Alerte Phonegate points out that :
- 0 mm tests must become the standard for SAR, as recommended by ANSES and required by France at European level.
- Exposure limits and the type of indicator must be revised to include non-thermal risks. Failing this, the regulations governing cell phones and connected objects will remain totally inadequate.
- Transparency must be total: manufacturers and authorities must clearly inform the public.
For Dr. Marc Arazi, President of Phonegate Alert and who launched the alert in 2016:
“This breakthrough is another victory for civil society in our action to protect the health of billions of users faced with the Phonegate industrial scandal, but the silence of manufacturers and the absence of public debate are worrying. Users’ health must be at the heart of policies, not relegated to mere technical notes. Further proof that the authorities, in this case the FCC, will have to be held to account for these opaque practices that have overexposed and misled American consumers for thirty years.”
* FCC’s latest SAR testing regulations, portable device manufacturers quickly investigate these 5 key changesOn April 2, 2025, the FCC issued guidelines for testing portable devices for radio frequency exposure (SAR, PD, EMF, etc.) under 47 CFR Part 2.1093, mainly involving KDB 447498, Reference documents such as KDB 616217 and KDB 648474.
Sources :
- Joint letter Phonegate & EHT Alert to the FCC, 2018
- Chicago Tribune investigation, 2019
- Formal objection from France to the European Commission
- New FCC rules, 2025 subject
On the same subject :
