A cell phone industry group has gone to San Francisco with guns blazing and the intent to shut down the recently-passed ordinance that requires radiation levels to be listed on cell phones.
CITA says that the ordinance will only confuse consumers and mislead them by floating the myth that cell phones are somehow dangerous. The CITA is clearly concerned that this ordinance could harm revenue of the industry, so they’re going to bat for their cause with gusto.
The mayor of San Francisco says that the ordinance is designed to provide consumers with more information so that they can make educated choices, but the CITA’s argument is that attracting consumers to potential dangers is simply confusing and wrong. It would be like including harmful labels on products that are not known to be harmful.
The ordinance’s supporters would argue differently, of course, and would suggest that the ruling is like including sodium amounts on soup cans. Sodium in and of itself is not harmful, but consumers should be made aware of the higher and lower levels of it in the products they purchase. The ruling, in this respect, sounds fair enough.
The radiation standards on cell phones in the United States is set by the FCC and the inference that some cell phones may not be safe is really getting to industry heads. “The ordinance is premised on the city’s belief that the FCC standards are not ‘safe enough’ and represents an effort by the city to second-guess the FCC and supplant the exclusive federal regulation of (radio frequency) emissions safety,” says CITA in the lawsuit.
At the end of the day, displaying radiation levels on cell phones could create some annoyances for the industry. It may drive cell phone makers to create phones that operate on even lower levels of radiation and that could present some cost issues. It also could continue to promote the myth that cell phones are harmful.
On the flip side, fighting against this ordinance tooth and nail makes it seem like the industry has something to hide.
