The Phonegate Alert association welcomes the written question submitted to the French National Assembly on February 4, 2025, by Mathieu Lefèvre to the Minister of Health and Access to Care, Yannick Neuder. In it, the MP for Val-de-Marne calls on the government to take urgent action to strengthen regulations on SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) levels for cell phones. The initiative also highlights the persistent inaction of the European Commission, despite the formal objection filed by France five years ago.
A written question to get things moving
The written question submitted by MP Mathieu Lefèvre is a strong signal to the French government and the European Union. It is a reminder that inaction in the face of the health risks associated with cell phone radiation is unacceptable. Indeed, the MP asks:
“In 2020, the French government approached the European Commission to obtain a measurement standard of 0 mm from the body. It therefore asks about the follow-up to such a proposal and the possibility of strengthening standards on national territory.”
The MP added:
“Cell phones have become such an important part of our lives that it is imperative that we mobilize collectively to address the health risks involved in such exposure. This is what the Phonegate Alert association is rightly striving for, and we must support it in its endeavours.”
Inadequate European regulations
In a report entitled “Mobile phones worn close to the body and health”, published in 2019, the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) had recommended that the SAR be measured at 0 mm from the body, a distance more reflective of actual cell phone use (in a pocket or against the skin).
However, to date, European tests continue to be carried out at a distance of 5 mm (it was 15 to 25 mm when the alert was launched), allowing manufacturers to market devices that would exceed regulatory limits if tests were carried out in direct contact with the body.
Subsequently, in September, France filed a formal objection with the European Commission to request a change in the standards. However, five years later, no concrete measures have been implemented. Meanwhile, millions of phones with high exposure levels continue to be placed on the French and European markets.
Alarming SAR exceedances confirmed
Tests carried out by the French National Frequency Agency (ANFR) and other independent studies have shown that some models reach SAR levels of up to 7 or 8 W/kg, well above the European limits set at 2 W/kg and 4W/kg. These exceedances are particularly worrying for users, especially children, who are more sensitive to the effects of electromagnetic waves.
Recent cases, including those of the Google Pixel 9 or the Samsung S25 and S25+, revealed by the Phonegate Alert calculator, illustrate this problem. “Our calculator indicates that these models far exceed regulatory thresholds when measurements are taken in contact with the body,” warns Jean-Paul Huard, secretary of Phonegate Alert.
“This demonstrates once again the urgent need for regulations adapted to actual usage .”
The demands of Phonegate Alert to protect health
Phonegate Alert requests:
- The European Commission to adopt as soon as possible a standard requiring SAR tests at 0 mm from the body.
- French and European authorities to step up controls and rapidly withdraw non-compliant models from the market.
- Total transparency on the results of tests carried out by ANFR and other competent bodies.
- That the European Commission does not impose industrial secrecy on testing agencies.
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