Apple And Samsung Dragged To Court Over Harmful RF Radiations

Apple and Samsung are facing a lawsuit in the US for allegedly unable to control the harmful radio frequencies being emitted from their smartphones. The lawsuit filed against both the brands has a bunch of smartphones listed (primarily the premium ones) which are said to emit these harmful radiations. Let's have a look at the details:

The Case:

The class-action suit claims RF radiation emitted by Apple and Samsung smartphones 'exceed legal limits set forth by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).' The case has been filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, suggests a report from Apple Insider.

The RF frequencies emitted by the smartphones have some bad exposure effects on the living beings: "Numerous recent scientific publications, supported by hundreds of scientists worldwide, have shown that RF radiation exposure affects living organisms at levels well below most international and national guidelines," suggests the court filing.

Another study by the Chicago Tribune reveals that the "radio-frequency radiation exposure from the iPhone 7 measured over the legal safety limit and more than double against what Apple had reported to federal regulators from its testing".

As for the list of devices which are said to emit these uncontrolled radiations include the Apple iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 8, iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S8, and the Galaxy Note 8.

What Are Radiofrequency Emissions?

The Radiofrequency Emissions are nothing but the radio waves emitted by the smartphones and other wireless products. These are the combination of electric and magnetic waves emitted from a device radiating via space generated by the movement of electric charge in the antennas.

What Are The Harmful Effects Of These Radiations?

These RF emissions from smartphones pose a major threat to human health. Medical issues ranging from genetic damages to neurological disorders can affect the users. The lawsuit further says, "Effects include increased cancer risk, cellular stress, increase in harmful free radicals, genetic damages, structural and functional changes of the reproductive system, learning and memory deficits, neurological disorders and negative impacts on general well-being in humans."

Moreover, as per the FCC, there seems to be confusion amongst the masses regarding the SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) values for the smartphones and other wireless devices. It is the RF energy being absorbed by a body from the source (smartphone or another wireless device).

FCC quoted, "Many people mistakenly assume that using a cell phone with a lower reported SAR value necessarily decreases a user's exposure to RF emissions, or is somehow 'safer' than using a cell phone with a high SAR value". The safety limit set by FCC for RF radio emissions is 1.6 watts per kilogram averaged over 1gm of tissue.

While Samsung is yet to deliver any official statement on the lawsuit, Apple says, "all iPhone models, including iPhone 7, are fully certified by the FCC and in every other country where iPhone is sold". Apple added, "We are in compliance and meet all applicable exposure guidelines and limits".