Phonegate : [Breaking News] The Recommendations of ANSES Call Upon the Public Authorities and Industry to Face their Health Responsibilities

[Breaking news] The recommendations of ANSES call upon the public authorities and industry to face their health responsibilities
Equipe Phonegate 21 Oct 2019

The French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) has just made public the first part of its expert group report entitled “Mobile phones close to the body and health“, dated July 2019. For Dr. Marc Arazi, who launched the alert on the Phonegate scandal in July 2016:

“This is undoubtedly a great step forward and a tremendous recognition for our international alert action. The public and industrial authorities are now faced with their responsibilities and must inform mobile phone users of the health risks involved.”

This had been expected since the end of 2017, following our appeal to the public authorities and the request made by the General Directorate of Health (Ministry for Solidarity and Health) and the Directorate of Risk Prevention (Ministry for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition) to ANSES to be informed of the health risks for adults and children exposed to specific absorption rate (SAR) levels of more than 2 W/kg (European legal limit).
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Europe: Help Us to Find Out If These Unsafe Mobile Phone Models Are Still Available in Your country

Europe: Help us to find out if these unsafe mobile phone models are still available in your country
Equipe Phonegate 16 Oct 2019

Following our alert launched in France in 2016 by Dr. Marc Arazi, we obtained the publication of the test reports of hundreds of control tests carried out since 2012 by our National Frequencies Agency (ANFR).

As a result, we have requested the removal or update of more than 250 of the most popular models.

Since April 2018, 18 different models have been withdrawn from the French market, banned or updated. We have reported this situation to national agencies, such as in Switzerland, Germany and most recently to the European Parliament.

Development of a collaborative database

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Phonegate Alert invited to the International conference Stop 5G at the Italian Parliament

Phonegate Alert invited to the International conference Stop 5G at the Italian Parliament
Equipe Phonegate 12 Oct 2019

At the invitation of the Italian Alliance Stop 5G and the European Alliance Stop5G and its main animator, Maurizio Martucci, we will be present on Tuesday November 5, 2019 in Rome to participate in this international conference which will be held at the Italian Chamber of Deputies. Our President, Dr. Marc Arazi, will speak to the ongoing international, industrial and health scandal of the Phonegate and warn of the disloyalty of mobile phone manufacturers who have overexposed all mobile phone users well beyond levels that pose a risk to our health and safety. This new case will be ten times more important than the dieselgate scandal (Volkswagen case).

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Phonegate: [Press release] The flaws in the control of mobile phones by European and international authorities

[Press release] The flaws in the control of mobile phones by European and international authorities
Equipe Phonegate 11 Oct 2019

In a press release published on October 4, 2019 on its website, the French National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) announced the withdrawal from the market and the recall of the ECHO Horizon Lite phone following measures to control the specific absorption rate (SAR) “trunk” which revealed that the authorized regulatory limit had been exceeded.

ANFR also sanctioned the French distribution company MODELABS MOBILES, which markets this model, with an administrative fine of €7,500. The SAR “trunk” of the Echo Horizon Lite was measured at 2.38W/kg in May 2018 and at a higher level of 2.84 W/kg after ANFR requested the update of this phone. To our knowledge, this is the first time that a company has been financially sanctioned for this reason.

Since we issued the alert, this is the eighteenth smartphone model pinned in France by ANFR for exceeding the SAR “trunk” or “head”.

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Phonegate: Dr. Arazi’s Presentation at the International Scientific Conference in Mainz, Germany

"We had three days of high quality scientific exchanges and debates in Mainz. We would like to thank the organizers for their hospitality and the hundreds of people present who greeted Dr. Marc Arazi's closing presentation with a standing ovation. A great acknowledgement for the work of the entire team." - Phonegate Alert Association

Dr Arazi’s presentation at the International Scientific Conference in Mainz, Germany
Equipe Phonegate 7 Oct 2019

Several hundred people were present from 3 to 6 October 2019 at the International Scientific Conference in Mainz, Germany, to listen to the speeches of some of the leading independent experts who had come to report on their work on the health, technological and legal risks associated with mobile phone waves.

At a time when the industry in the sector was determined to develop 5G on a massive scale, they all called on political decision-makers to apply the precautionary principle and to put in place a moratorium before any deployment.

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Phonegate: Dr. Arazi’s Alert Launched at the European Parliament

Phonegate: Dr Arazi’s alert launched at the European Parliament
Equipe Phonegate, 2 Oct 2019

We would like to thank MEPs Philippe Lamberts, Michèle Rivasi and Klaus Buchner of the Greens/EFA for this remarkable event organised on 1 October 2019 at the European Parliament. This allowed our President to launch an alert to the European authorities asking them to take all appropriate measures to protect mobile phone users from the health and industrial risks associated with the international Phonegate scandal, particularly at the time of the announced launch of 5G.

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Working Meeting in Paris with Professor Belpomme, Dr. Pri Bandara and Dr. Marc Arazi

Working meeting in Paris with Professor Belpomme and Dr Pri Bandara
Equipe Phonegate, 28 Sep 2019

Dr Pri Bandara, member of the Phonegate Alert Scientific board, came especially from Poland where she participated in a scientific conference organized by the City Hall of Krakow, to come to Paris to discuss with Professor Dominique Belpomme (ARTAC) and our President, Dr Marc Arazi. She then resumed a flight to Sydney in the evening to return to Australia where she resides.

We would like to thank both of them for this time of high quality scientific exchange around electrohypersensitivity (EHS) studies, which we hope will open up new opportunities for international collaboration, especially with the Oceania Region (ORSAA).

https://www.phonegatealert.org/en/working-meeting-in-paris-with-professor-belpomme-and-dr-pri-bandara

[Event] European Parliament: Phonegate Alert invited to speak at a Press Conference on 5G

[Event] European Parliament: Phonegate Alert invited to speak at a Press Conference on 5G
Equipe Phonegate, phonegatealert.org,  27 Sep 2019

We would like to thank MEPs Philippe Lamberts, Michèle Rivasi and Klaus Buchner of the Greens/EFA for their invitation to participate in the Press Conference organised on October 1st 2019 at the European Parliament. This will be an opportunity for our President, Dr. Marc Arazi, to ask the European authorities to take all appropriate measures to protect mobile phone users from the health and industrial risks associated with the international Phonegate scandal, particularly at the time of the announced launch of 5G.

We welcome the presence of US Professor Martin Pall and Italian journalist Maurizio Martucci, both on the front line to ensure that the precautionary principle and a moratorium are applied before any massive deployment of 5G.

&&&&&&&&&&&

Philippe Lamberts, Michele Rivasi and Klaus Buchner, MEPs from the Greens/EFA

invite you to a Press Conference on

5G, Health Risks and Precautionary Principle : A New Rationale

Tuesday 1st October 2019, 11h30 – European Parliament, Brussels,

(EN / FR / DE on request)

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United States: KCCI Investigates: Lawsuit Filed Over Cellphone Radiation

KCCI Investigates: Lawsuit filed over cellphone radiation (24 Sept. 2019, 2 min.)

West Des Moines, Iowa, attorney Bart Goplerud files lawsuit over cell phone radiation (one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs in the class action complaints filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California - San Jose and San Francisco Divisions)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwS-iTmc3hA

Phonegate Alert Enters the ANSES Radio Frequencies and Health Dialogue Committee

Phonegate Alert enters the ANSES Radio Frequencies and Health Dialogue Committee
Equipe Phonegate 24 Sep 2019

The Director General of the French National Health Security Agency (ANSES), Mr Roger Genet, officially informed us on September, 12 of the integration of our association into the “Radio frequencies & health” dialogue committee.

In agreement with our Scientific board, it is our President, Dr Marc Arazi, who will represent our organization in a constructive and vigilant way.

We will participate alongside several representatives of French organizations listed below:

Institutions / Collectivités Territoriales / Elus

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U.S. Congressional Representatives DeFazio and Suozzi Letter to FCC on Chicago Tribune Investigation

In March 2018, Dr. Marc Arazi, President of the Phonegate Alert Association, and Dr. Devra Davis, President of the Environmental Health Trust, jointly addressed a letter to the FCC, asking for a revision of the 1996 standards, taking into account the documentation from France and Europe on SAR standards and users’ overexposure to radiofrequency fields emitted by cell phones, and recommending measures to better protect users’ health, especially children. The current SAR test system protocols do not take into account the unique physiology of children, who have smaller heads and thinner skulls than adults, allowing RF energy to penetrate more deeply into their brains. The letter also stressed the importance of developing and implementing public health campaigns and recommendations to reduce exposure directed primarily at parents, children, pregnant women and medically sensitive populations. The FCC has not replied to this letter.

DeFazio and Suozzi Letter to FCC on Chicago Tribune Study – 9.13.19
BY CHRISTINE, citizensfor5gawareness.org, 16 September 2019

Citizens for 5G Awareness applauds Congressmen Suozzi and DeFazio for writing a letter demanding transparency and honesty of our federal government. Citing the recent study in the Chicago Tribune as evidence that the cell phone manufacturers are NOT complying with FCC limitations and that these limits are outdated this letter boldly demands that the FCC start to understand that the public is NOT happy and believes that the FCC takes its orders from industry NOT the people! Thank you!

Click here to view this wonderful letter! Suozzi and Defazio to the FCC

https://citizensfor5gawareness.org/defazio-and-suozzi-letter-to-fcc-on-chicago-tribune-study-9-13-19/

Phonegate: On-going International Collective Actions

Please note that in the United States there are two class actions in progress against Apple and Samsung:  
The first class action was filed in the San Jose division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against Apple and Samsung on August 23, 2019, comprising 11 plaintiffs (Case No. 5:19-cv-05322). The second was filed by Andrus Anderson LLP in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco, representing 16 plaintiffs (Case No. 3:19-cv-05707).

Phonegate: On-going international Collective Actions
phonegatealert.org, 17 September 2019

Within the framework of Phonegate, following is the list of legal actions in progress against mobile phone companies:

France

Xiaomi – Redmi Note 5 and Mi Mix 2S mobile phones

On April 15, 2019, the first criminal complaint within the framework of Phonegate was filed with the Paris Public Prosecutor against the Chinese mobile phone manufacturer Xiaomi by Attorney Elias Bourran of the Paris Bar and a class action lawsuit launched against the company on the platform “V pour Verdict”.

This action concerns the Redmi Note 5 and Mi Mix 2S mobile phones. Control tests by the French National Frequencies Agency (ANFR) revealed that the SAR (specific absorption rate) exceeded the European regulatory limit of 2.0 W/kg for the head in the case of the Redmi Note 5 and for the trunk in the case of the Mi Mix 2S.

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Time to Wake Up to the Global Public Health Issue of Phonegate

Latest developments in the Phonegate scandal, included in the 5 September revised text:

- French ministerial decree announces recall and ban on placing on the market and putting into service of two new smartphones
- FCC proposes to maintain current radiofrequency exposure standards for handheld devices, dating from 1996, this rule also applying to 5G phones and infrastructure
- Italy launches awareness campaign on the environmental and health impacts of mobile phone use in answer to the January 2019 court decision
- Chicago Tribune investigation of testing of popular cell phones for radiofrequency radiation
- Launch of class action lawsuits against Apple and Samsung in the United States and in Montreal, Canada. (*updated 17 September 2019)

Time to Wake Up to the Global Public Health Issue of Phonegate
by Meris Michaels, 23 May 2019 - Revised 17 September 2019 

Phonegate Press Book

For over 20 years, cell phone users have been knowingly misled about their true levels of exposure to radiofrequency (RF) waves under real conditions of use in contact with the body. Consumers have been doubly misled by not having been informed by the public authorities to keep the phone away from the body.

This issue concerns all of us and those we love. Most of us have cell phones. We hold them against our heads, keep them switched on in a pants or shirt pocket or tucked in a bra. Many of us are unaware that cell phone manufacturers are testing phones at a certain distance from the body, not in the ways that most of us use them, touching the body. These same manufacturers warn us to keep the phone at a distance from the body.

The authorities have been lax in implementing public health campaigns and recommendations to reduce RF exposure, especially regarding children, pregnant women and medically sensitive populations who are more vulnerable to these waves.

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United States: Cellphone Users Sue Apple and Samsung Over Radiation Exposure

This is a new class action lawsuit filed by Andrus Anderson LLP in San Francisco on 10 September 2019, representing 16 plaintiffs against Apple and Samsung in a controversy some in the medical and scientific community are allegedly calling “Phone Gate.” (Case 3:19-cv-05707)

Cellphone Users Sue Apple and Samsung Over Radiation Exposure
by Alaina Lancaster, law.com, 11 September 2019

San Francisco’s Andrus Anderson represents a class action of phone owners who say they would not have purchased or paid top dollar for their cells if they had known about the risks of contact with radiofrequency radiation.

iPhone 10

Andrus Anderson in San Francisco is representing 16 plaintiffs against Apple and Samsung in a controversy some in the medical and scientific community are allegedly calling “Phone Gate.”

The complaint, filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco, claims that members of the class action would not have purchased their phones had they known their Apple and Samsung devices exposed them to radiofrequency radiation exceeding the regulatory limits.

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The iPhone 7 May Be More Dangerous than Announced by Apple

The iPhone 7 may be more dangerous than announced by Apple
by Antoine Sillières, Le Lanceur, 6 September 2019 - translation

According to independent analyses by an American reporter of the Chicago Tribune, the iPhone 7 emits more waves than Apple says. Several other competing devices, such as Samsung and Motorola, exceed radiation standards when tested in real-life conditions.

Illustrative photo of danger of waves - cell phone
©  Tim Douet

While not a tabloid, the Chicago Tribune has nailed several international stars this summer, true global stars named iPhone 7, Samsung S8 and Motorola E5... which shine too brightly. Reporter Sam Roe, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for an investigation into the dangers of certain toys, investigated for a year the human body's exposure to the waves emitted by our dear smartphones. He had several flagship models tested in a certified and independent laboratory. The results of the measurements, published in an article dated 21 August (read here), differ from those obtained by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), the authority in charge of control in the United States. These results are also different from those presented by the National Frequencies Agency (ANFR), its French counterpart, as pointed out by Marc Arazi, whistleblower, who has been investigating the subject since 2016.

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Phonegate: [Updated Press release] Will the original reports of the mobile phone tests remain secret?

Message from Phonegate Alert: 13 September 2019:
"We have updated this article with the report by the attorney Laurent Goldman of the Public Rapporteur's positions at the hearing held yesterday morning before the Council of State. If these conclusions are accepted, we will not be able to access the original and complete documents of the mobile phone test reports audited by the National Frequencies Agency (ANFR)!"

[Updated Press release] Will the original reports of the mobile phone tests remain secret?
Equipe Phonegate, phonegatealert.org, 6 Sep 2019

Article updated on 12 September 2019 following the public hearing before the Council of State.

Attached is the report of attorney Laurent Goldman who represents Dr. Arazi.

At this morning’s hearing, the public rapporteur, as announced, concluded that the appeal was inadmissible.

At this morning’s hearing, the public rapporteur, as announced, concluded that the appeal was inadmissible.

First, it noted that article L. 124-1 of the Environmental Code referred to access to “information” relating to the environment, and not to “documents”. It therefore concludes that the communication of the original reports is not required by this text.
On the completeness of the data posted by ANFR, the public rapporteur hid behind the court’s assessment that the content of the reports had not been modified. It considered that this assessment was sovereign, i.e. it was beyond the control of the Court of Cassation.
Finally, the public rapporteur considered that it was also sovereign that the court decided whether or not to order the production of the original reports for comparison with the data published online.

We are preparing a post-hearing submission to argue the public rapporteur’s positions. The decision of the Council of State should be rendered within 3 weeks and we will then know whether or not our appeal will be considered.

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The Cell Phone Radiation Scandal: Top Brands are Lying About Safety

The Cell Phone Radiation Scandal: Top Brands are Lying About Safety
By Ty & Charlene Bollinger, thetruthaboutcancer.com, 23 August 2019

As the controversy over 5G networks and cell phone radiation continues, it turns out that manufacturers aren’t playing fair. In a groundbreaking expose by the Chicago Tribune, popular phones by Apple, Samsung, and Motorola were found to produce radiation that exceeds federal limits. The new data has forced the FCC to investigate – and could be a major blow to the industry.

The question has been asked about as long as mobile phones have existed: “Are they safe?”

Manufacturers and service providers have assured us time and time again that radiofrequency radiation is nothing to worry about, but the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) did eventually set limits.

For a cell phone to be approved for sale, it must undergo FCC-approved testing to determine the amount of radiofrequency radiation that will be absorbed by organic matter. This gives us an idea of just how much radiation users will experience, day in and day out. The current limit for cell phone radiation is 1.6 watts per kilogram.

1.6 W/kg. Keep that number in mind as we continue…

Journalists at the Tribune wanted to know if this threshold was truly being observed by manufacturers, so they funded their own testing to find out. They began with Apple’s iPhone 7. The test was conducted at a lab accredited by the FCC to perform the tests according to federal guidelines.

To conduct the tests, phones were placed under a tub containing liquid that simulates human tissue. The phone was then powered on and a call was placed so that it was operating at full power. For the next 18 minutes, a robotic sensor took over 275 measurements.

The phone was tested twice, once at 5 millimeters away from the liquid and once at 2mm away. The second test, they explained, was to simulate a phone being stored in clothing, like pockets. They measured this by cutting out pieces of dress shirts, T-shirts, jeans, track pants, and undergarments and using them to find the appropriate distance.

The iPhone 7 was tested in August of 2018, followed by 11 more phones in October: 2 more iPhone 7s, an iPhone 8, an iPhone X, an iPhone 8 Plus, a Galaxy S9, a Galaxy S8, a Galaxy J3, a Moto e5 Play, a Moto g6 Play and a Vivo 5 Mini.

The Tribune reports that the results of the first iPhone 7 test were so high that they wanted to test two more to be sure.

The results were staggering.

With a federal limit of 1.6 W/kg, nearly half of the phones failed the test at 5mm. At 2mm, representing a phone kept in your clothing, all but one failed. If the tests are accurate, this would be a catastrophic failure of FCC oversight, and severe ineptitude or diabolical deceit by the manufacturers (except Vivo, who was well within guidelines).

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Apple’s iPhone: Widespread Deception Over the Real SAR Levels

Apple’s iPhone: widespread deception over the real SAR levels
Equipe Phonegate, phonegatealert.org, 9 Sep 2019

We asked Dr. Arazi, President of Phonegate Alert, to review in detail the revelations made on August 21, 2019 by journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Sam Roe in the Chicago Tribune and to place them in the overall context of the international Phonegate scandal. We start with the results of Apple’s iPhones, then in a next article we will discuss the results of the Korean manufacturer Samsung.

When and how did the contact with the journalist Sam Roe come about?

It is now more than a year and a half ago. I received an email in January 2018 from Sam Roe of the Chicago Tribune asking me for an interview. He had heard of the results of the specific absorption rate (SAR) tests carried out on hundreds of mobile phones by the National Frequencies Agency (ANFR), of which we had obtained a first publication in June 2017.

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We tested popular cellphones for radiofrequency radiation. Now the FCC is investigating.

Full text of the article that made the front page of the Chicago Tribune on 21 August 2019.

We tested popular cellphones for radiofrequency radiation. Now the FCC is investigating.

By SAM ROE, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 21 August 2019 |

The Apple iPhone 7 was set to operate at full power and secured below a tub of clear liquid, specially formulated to simulate human tissue.

With the push of a button, a robotic arm swung into action, sending a pencil-thin probe dipping into the tub. For 18 minutes, it repeatedly measured the amount of radiofrequency radiation the liquid was absorbing from the cellphone.

This test, which was paid for by the Tribune and conducted according to federal guidelines at an accredited lab, produced a surprising result: Radiofrequency radiation exposure from the iPhone 7 — one of the most popular smartphones ever sold — measured over the legal safety limit and more than double what Apple reported to federal regulators from its own testing.

The Federal Communications Commission, which is responsible for regulating phones, states on its website that if a cellphone has been approved for sale, the device “will never exceed” the maximum allowable exposure limit. But this phone, in an independent lab inspection, had done exactly that.

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The FCC Needs to Update Its Cellphone Tests for Radiofrequency Radiation: Commentary by Dr. Devra Davis

Thank you to Jean Hudon in Québec for the full text of this commentary which ties the Chicago Tribune cell phone testing to the testing of cell phones in France (Phonegate).  The article has links to excellent references.

Commentary: The FCC needs to update its cellphone tests for radiofrequency radiation
by Devra Davis, Chicago Tribune, 26 August 2019

The Chicago Tribune recently published test results indicating that some cellphones can emit radiation causing exposure up to five times higher than current limits allow. This shocking data comes on the heels of the government of France’s revelations that phones emit radiation between four and 11 times their allowable limits.

Add caption

Photo: Lead technical engineer Jay Moulton places a cellphone in the testing position at the RF Exposure Lab in San Marcos, California, on Oct. 25, 2018. Test results indicate that some cellphones can emit radiation causing exposure up to five times higher than current limits allow. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

For more than a decade, the Federal Communications Commission has knowingly relied on unrealistic test methods to evaluate radiofrequency radiation from a single phone selected for testing by major manufacturers. Repeated submissions and presentations to the FCC have documented numerous deficiencies in the current protocol, as noted in 2012 by the Government Accountability Office in a report mandated by Congress.

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