On April 24, 2026, the Phonegate Alert NGO wrote to the French Minister of Health, Stéphanie Rist, requesting an immediate review of the HMD Barbie Phone (under Mattel Europe license), a mobile phone targeting children and teenagers across France and Europe. In December 2025, the French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) measured the device’s Limb SAR at 3.68 W/kg at direct contact (0 mm). This measurement implies a significant breach of the Body SAR limit (2 W/kg) under real-life usage conditions.
In the letter to the Minister, we reminded her:
“As early as 2020, following recommendations from ANSES (2019), France advocated to the European Commission for a change in standards to test Body SAR at direct contact (0 mm), in order to better reflect the real-life usage of devices carried close to the body.”
The ANFR measurement of 3.68 W/kg for Limb SAR at 0 mm is deeply concerning for equivalent usage against the torso. With the transition to the European 0 mm Body SAR standard currently being deployed, this issue has become urgent.
It is particularly striking that in a series of 64 recent compliance checks, the ANFR systematically discarded Head and Body SAR measurements, publishing only Limb SAR values. This methodological choice, which conveniently avoids the most restrictive safety thresholds, appears to be an avoidance strategy benefiting manufacturers at the expense of public health.
Furthermore, by failing to demand software deactivation keys from manufacturers during testing—including for the Barbie Phone—the agency seems to have abandoned its role as a health watchdog, acting instead as a mere registration office for the industry.
Children: The Forgotten Factor in SAR Testing
Since 2016, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) has highlighted that children absorb more radiofrequency radiation because their tissues are thinner and their growth is rapid. Despite this, SAR tests are still conducted using a mannequin based on the dimensions of a male American soldier (SAM).
Even more concerning is the usage among young girls. Carrying the Barbie Phone in a bra exposes developing breast tissue directly to 3.68 W/kg at contact—representing a level 84% above the Body SAR limit of 2 W/kg.
Additionally, the manufacturer, HMD, fails to mention the Barbie Phone’s SAR values on its website or in its promotional videos—a clear violation of French consumer information laws.
Four Actions Demanded from the Authorities
Alerte Phonegate is urging the Ministry of Health to:
- Immediately examine the actual compliance of the Barbie Phone.
- Refer the matter to the DGCCRF (Fraud Control) regarding the failure to display SAR values.
- Order the ANFR to publish 0 mm Body SAR values for all 2025 compliance checks.
- Consider a preventive recall if the risk to the torso is confirmed.
“A phone reaching 3.68 W/kg at contact, tucked into bras or pockets of teenage girls, sold under a Mattel Europe license across Europe without a published Body SAR or clear labeling in France, is unacceptable for public health,” comments Dr. Marc Arazi, President of Phonegate Alert. “Mattel surely wishes to protect the health of children attached to the Barbie brand. For its part, the State must act as quickly as possible.”