San Francisco Now Requires Vendors to Display Phone Radiation Levels

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Saying that consumers have the right to know about the products they’re going to buy, San Francisco has passed a city law that requires phone retailers to display the amount of radiation emitted by the phones they are selling, reports the BBC.

The measure was passed by a 10-1 vote of the city council. Similar proposed laws in the state-level legislature have been opposed by the mobile phone industry, citing studies that mobile phone radiation were not harmful to people.

Though the government through the Federal Communications Commission has adopted limits that set out safe exposure to these kinds of emissions, San Francisco officials felt that a more active approach was needed.

This is not about discouraging people from using their cell phones. This is a modest commonsense measure to provide greater transparency and information to consumers.

Said Tony Winnicker, spokesman for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who has said he will sign the legislation into law, the BBC report adds.

The mobile phone industry through the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA) has disagreed, saying that it will only create confusion as it will label some phones as “safer” than others based on the shown radiation levels.

Vendors will have no choice but to display radiation level, facing a fine of $300 for violating the law.

Do you think similar laws should also be passed in other cities and states? Are mobile phone radiation levels really safe for use?

Source: Indyposted - Quick News for Busy People