Jan 1st, 2016 - When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published new guidelines 18 months ago regarding the radiation risk from cellphones, it used unusually bold language on the topic for the American health agency: “We recommend caution in cellphone use.” Within weeks, though, the C.D.C. reversed course. It no longer recommended caution, and deleted a passage specifically addressing potential risks for children.

Ashland, Massachusetts Public Schools have implemented Wi-Fi Device "Best Practices" which include turning the Wi-Fi off when not in use and keeping devices on a table. Based on its own review of the matter, the Ashland Public School District is reducing wireless radiation exposures to children by instituting district wide "best practices for mobile devices". Spurred by parent Cecelia Doucette's concerns about the lack of safety data on Wi-Fi and children, the district investigated the issue and developed a policy to substantially reduce wireless exposures to students and staff.

As of this fall, Israel and Italy are officially recommending schools reduce children's exposures to wireless radiation. The Israeli Ministry of Health has initiated a major public awareness effort to reduce wireless and electromagnetic radiation exposures to children. In similar action, the Italian State Parliament of South Tyrol voted to allow the application of the precautionary principle to replace existing wireless networks whenever possible with wired networks or those that emit less radiation.

France - On January 29th, a law governing public exposure to electromagnetic fields generated by wireless technology (base stations, mobile phones, tablets ...) was adopted by the Members of the National Assembly [MNAs]; the first taking into account the potential health risks of radio frequencies.

A law for limiting exposure to electromagnetic waves was adopted by The National Assembly of France. Emerging news reports are in French. Our understanding is that various political parties worked for over one year preparing this law. This will now go to the Senate,  if it is also adopted by the Senate in France, it […]

The French law if adopted by the Senate would prohibit “any publicity” for mobile phones and other devices such as tablets, targeting “children under 14 years.” Wi-Fi equipment would be banned in nurseries and child care. One year after a “first-class burial” in the eyes of environmentalists, when she simply disappeared from the parliamentary agenda, […]

On the same day that we read reports from the Lancet that the UK is “lagging behind similar countries on many indicators for ill-health” (and continues to lag in the diagnosis and survival of cancer), the Belgian government has announced measures to restrict the use of mobile phones by young children.