By B.N. Frank

Cell phone manufacturers have actually been warning their shareholders – not customers – that they may eventually be held liable for the harm they have caused.

In the meantime though, they want to keep the rest of us confused about harm from exposure and excited about new digital, electronic, and wireless technology.

Many people are unaware that warnings on packs of cigarettes weren’t included until 1964 even though there was research that had already proven they were harmful.  For years afterward, people were still allowed to smoke almost everywhere – even in doctor’s offices and hospitals.  The Tobacco Industry’s use of the American government’s appeal system was brilliantly described by character, Nick Naylor, in the 2004 film, Thank You for Smoking.

It all seems ridiculous – almost laughable – to think that people believed that regularly inhaling smoke of any kind was completely harmless.  We were played big-time by “Big Tobacco.”

In fact, “Big Tobacco” was still using that American appeals system until last year to play us.  Laughable, right?

In 2012, a federal bill was introduced by Dennis Kucinich called “The Cell Phone Right to Know” Act.  It was supported by many – including scientists and medical professionals – but didn’t pass.

In 2014, The Berkeley Cell Phone “Right to Know” Ordinance was introduced to require cell phone retailers to provide consumers with:

“…purely factual and uncontroversial disclosures about commercial products.”

The city’s cell phone “right to know” ordinance requires cell phone retailers either to post a notice or provide consumers with the following safety information:

“To assure safety, the Federal Government requires that cell phones meet radiofrequency (RF) exposure guidelines. If you carry or use your phone in a pants or shirt pocket or tucked into a bra when the phone is ON and connected to a wireless network, you may exceed the federal guidelines for exposure to RF radiation. Refer to the instructions in your phone or user manual for information about how to use your phone safely.”

Decades of research had already proven that exposure to cell phones and other digital, electronic, and wireless devices and infrastructure was harmful.  This legislation still didn’t make much reference to that.

That doesn’t matter to CITA, who represents The Wireless Industry.

This is why The Telecom Industry- aka “Big Wireless” – has been compared to “Big Tobacco” recently and in the past.  They have legally been able to avoid warning us about exposure except for in the fine print of their manuals which many don’t read – sometimes because they can’t find them.  No one seems to have yet enforced “The Precautionary Principle” on “Big Wireless.”

Many people assume that all of this is harmless otherwise we’d be warned by everyone under the sun – like we are with smoking.  Children likely assume that all of this technology operates via magic, otherwise every adult under the sun wouldn’t seem to be endorsing them to use it and Sesame Street wouldn’t feature a character named “Smarty the Smart Phone.”