The CTIA has filed a lawsuit in the hopes of overturning a Berkeley, Calif., regulation that will require sellers of cell phones to post warnings about radiation risks.
The law, approved in Berkeley last month, will force retailers to post signs warning consumers of the dangers posed by cell phone wireless signals. The CTIA argues the law will only confuse consumers and cause undo fear.
Every device that emits a wireless signal is evaluated by the FCC before it is permitted to go on sale in the U.S. The FCC often gauges the spectral absorption rate, or how much of the emitted wireless signal is absorbed by the human body, and provides a numerical rating. Devices that exceed certain parameters aren’t allowed to be sold.
The CTIA says Berkeley’s law “contradicts the federal government’s determination that cell phones approved for sale in the U.S. do not pose a public health risk.”
Some argue exposure to cell phone signals can lead to cancer. The CTIA successfully fought a similar law in San Francisco several years ago.
